Many have moved online like Campbeltown,\u00a0Spirit of Speyside<\/a>, Whisky Live<\/a> and the Whisky Show<\/a>. All great fun, a little light in the darkness, but we really miss the hustle and bustle, the human company, sharp elbows and all.<\/span><\/p>\n Glen Scotia Campbeltown Malts Festival 2021 outside the distillery<\/p><\/div>\n Thankfully, things are moving back to normal and hopefully this autumn some festivals will take place in real life, though they are unlikely to be quite as packed as in previous years. While we wait, impatiently, for the world to open up again, we can console ourselves with whiskies like our New Arrival of the Week. The Campbeltown Malts Festival<\/a> might be online again this year (from 7 June )\u00a0<\/span>but by golly Glen Scotia are going to release a special bottling anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n Glen Scotia is much-loved by malt aficionados, but compared with its legendary neighbour Springbank, it\u2019s not so well known. Founded in 1832 by Stewart Galbraith as simply Scotia, the \u2018Glen\u2019 came later, it’s a relic of a time when Campbeltown was the whisky<\/a> capital of the world. Alfred Barnard called the town \u2018whisky city.\u2019 In 1887, it had over 28 licensed distilleries producing around 10 million litres of whisky per year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sadly, from this peak, it was all downhill. A combination of world war one, Prohibition, changing tastes and some short-sighted producers selling bad whisky saw demand for Campbeltown<\/a> malts to plummet. 17 distilleries closed in the 1920s and by 1935 only Scotia and Springbank<\/a> were operational.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Scotia only survived by the skin of its teeth. It nearly closed in 1924 when distilleries were shuttering all over Campbeltown but it was saved by Duncan MacCallum, the founder of Ben Nevis distillery. Sadly he was forced to close it in 1928 having lost all his money in a dodgy business deal. Two years later he drowned himself in Campbeltown Loch. His ghost is said to haunt the distillery to this day. Spooky.<\/span><\/p>\n In 1930, the distillery was bought by a company called Bloch Bros. which owned Scapa and Glengyle, and the name was changed to Glen Scotia. From there it passed through various hands including Canadian giant Hiram Walker, before becoming part of a company that supplied bulk whiskies, the not terribly glamorous sounding ADP, Amalgamated Distilled Products Ltd.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Production became erratic: despite having a \u00a31million refurb in 1979, it was shut completely between 1984 and 1989. It then only worked sporadically before returning to full operation in 1999. It\u2019s now part of the Loch Lomond group which is in turn owned by a private equity firm called <\/span>Exponent. Phew!<\/span><\/p>\n Glen Scotia distillery, looks a bit like a big townhouse<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Glen](\"https:\/\/www.masterofmalt.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Festival_21_bottle-7501321-1024x684.jpg\")
Campbeltown goes online, again<\/h5>\n
Tough times in Campbeltown<\/h5>\n
![\"Glen](\"https:\/\/www.masterofmalt.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/distillery-menu_600x.jpg\")
Glen Scotia today<\/h5>\n
![\"Iain](\"https:\/\/www.masterofmalt.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Iain-McAlister-Glen-Scotia.jpg-RS-1024x682.jpg\")