Arbikie
Full Highlands food & drink guide — distilleries, restaurants, where to stay, when to go.
A family farm distillery on the Angus coast run by three brothers from the Stirling family, with a 'field to bottle' approach using barley and potatoes grown on the estate. Already known for gin and vodka; first single-malt release arrived in 2023 after nearly a decade of patient maturation.
Arbikie is a Highland farm distillery near Arbroath making remarkable grain-to-glass spirits — whisky, gin, vodka, and Scotland's first klimatarianism (carbon-neutral) gin and the Nàdar pea-based gin. The family farm grows all its own botanicals and grain. The whisky range (1794 Whisky and AK's Whisky) is impressive for a young distillery; the innovation in sustainable production is genuine and leading-edge.
Visiting Arbikie
Contact distillery
Arbikie Highland Estate, Inverkeilor, Angus
DD11 4UZ
- Shop
- Café/Restaurant
- Parking
Core range
1794 Highland Rye
48% ABV · New American oak; rye mash bill
Angus farm distillery — Scotland's first rye whisky in over a century. 1794 is the flagship — distinctive spice from the rye, properly farm-to-bottle.
Character & reputation
A field-to-bottle farm distillery on the Angus coast at Inverkeilor, run by the Stirling brothers, whose family has farmed the land for 400 years. They grow their own grain and botanicals and make everything on site — gin and vodka first (Kirsty's Gin; the pea-based, low-carbon Nàdar), then whisky. The headline release is the 1794 Highland Rye, Scotland's first rye whisky in around 200 years — technically a single grain rather than a single malt, and unlike anything else on the Scotch shelf. Provenance and sustainability are the real story, and the spirit is impressive for how young the operation is. Best for farm-distillery fans and anyone curious about Scottish rye.
Food pairings
| Whisky | Food | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1794 Whisky | Arbroath smokie | The farm distillery spirit pairs perfectly with the smoky, intense local haddock. |
Getting there
Car. Lunan Bay, near Inverkeilor on the A92 Angus coast, 10 min from Arbroath.
Arbroath station is 8.5km away — a short taxi or bus ride from the platform. (Distance as the crow flies; actual walking route may differ.)
Arbroath station travel guide on TripSCOTWhere to eat nearby
- Arbikie Distillery caféCafé
On-site hospitality with farm produce.
- Arbroath town centreArea
10 min south — famous for Arbroath smokies (protected designation).
Where to stay near Arbikie
Arbikie is a farm distillery on the Angus coast at Inverkeilor, between Arbroath and Montrose. Arbroath (8 miles south) is the nearest town — a fishing port famous for its smokies (smoked haddock) and the Declaration of Arbroath. Montrose (6 miles north) has a basin nature reserve. Dundee (25 miles) is the city base for Angus.
Angus coast, 20 min south.
Good range in Arbroath, 10 min.
Hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering within easy reach of Arbikie.
Booking links are affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Location
Arbikie Highland Estate, Inverkeilor, Angus, DD11 4UZ
View on map →Frequently asked questions
+What is the Nàdar gin?
Scotland's first carbon-negative spirit — a gin made from peas (not barley), removing more carbon from the atmosphere in growing than is produced in distillation. A genuine climate innovation.
+Can I visit Arbikie?
Yes — tours and tastings available. The coastal farm setting is beautiful; combine with Lunan Bay beach and Arbroath town.
+Where is Arbikie distillery?
Arbikie is in the Highlands. Postcode DD11.
+When was Arbikie distillery founded?
Arbikie was founded in 2014, making it roughly 12 years old.
Compare with similar distilleries
Farm-to-bottle ethos closest to Daftmill and Ballindalloch. Innovation scale closest to InchDairnie.
Ballindalloch
A single-estate distillery opened in 2014 within the grounds of Ballindalloch Castle, using barley grown on the estate and water from nearby springs. Production is small, patient, and overseen by the Macpherson-Grant family; the visitor experience is one of the most intimate on Speyside.
InchDairnie
An innovation-led distillery quietly building a reputation for experimentation — multiple mash bills, rye-based releases (RyeLaw), and the PrinLaws Collection. Spirit is held back for long maturation, so commercial releases are only just emerging. The peated KinGlassie 8 Year Old has since joined RyeLaw among the official releases.
Daftmill
A working farm distillery run by the Cuthbert family on a Fife arable farm. Releases are tiny, seasonal (Summer and Winter batches), and sell out within minutes — genuinely one of the hardest single malts in Scotland to buy at retail.
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