Independent · Consumer-first · Scottish
campbeltownOpen to visitorsFeatured

Springbank

4.7
How we score
Visit distillery site
On Birdie Brae
Whisky and golf

Pair Springbank with a round

See our sister site’s whisky-and-golf itineraries

Plan your visit to Springbank

Our sister site TripSCOT covers the visit side — opening hours, getting there, family-friendly notes. We cover the whisky.

On TripSCOT
Nearest town

Town visitor guide

Where to stay, what to do, food

Visit context

Founded
1828
Owner
J & A Mitchell
Region
campbeltown
Style
complex briny
Peat
Variable: Springbank is lightly peated (12–15 ppm), Longrow is heavily peated (55 ppm), Hazelburn is unpeated

Cult favourite and the only distillery in Scotland doing every single step of production — from floor malting to bottling — on one site. Family-owned, allocation-only, fanatically loved.

Our verdict

Springbank is Scotland's most fanatically loved distillery — the only one that does absolutely everything on site, from floor malting to bottling, with no shortcuts. Family-owned by J&A Mitchell since 1828, it produces three different styles (Springbank, Longrow, Hazelburn) from the same still house. The 10 and 15 Year Old are benchmark whiskies. Campbeltown Malts Festival in May is one of Scotland's great whisky weekends.

Best for:collectorsexperienced drinkers

Visiting Springbank

Tours from

Contact distillery

Address

Campbeltown, Argyll

PA28 6EX

Facilities
  • Shop
  • Café/Restaurant
  • Parking

Core range

10 Year Old

46% ABV · 60% bourbon, 40% sherry casks

£60

Cult Campbeltown malt. Lightly peated, oily, distinctively Campbeltown — owners refuse to expand production so demand permanently outstrips supply.

Nose:
Soft peat, oily malt, faint salt, oak.
Palate:
Complex — light peat, brine, oak, faint sherry, vanilla.
Finish:
Long, drying, with a faint sooty smoke.
Buy 10 Year Old from £60

15 Year Old

46% ABV · Predominantly sherry casks

£130

Sherried Springbank — heavier and more complex than the 10. Difficult to find at retail price; most allocations are sold by ballot.

Nose:
Sherry, oak, soft peat, dried fruit.
Palate:
Layered — sherry, oak, gentle peat, mineral edge.
Finish:
Long, drying, faint smoke.
Buy 15 Year Old from £130

Deep dive review

If you can actually find a bottle at RRP, buy it. Complex, lightly peated, briny, and utterly distinctive. Don’t pay secondary-market prices.

Food pairings

WhiskyFoodWhy
Scottish cheddar or Mull of Kintyre cheddar
Smoked oysters or smoked fish
Oysters or strong blue cheese

Getting there

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Where to eat nearby

  • Café na Mara
    Café
  • The Wee Toon
    Pub

Where to stay near Springbank

Springbank is in Campbeltown, a working town at the end of the Kintyre peninsula — 3 hours by road from Glasgow, or reachable by Loganair from Glasgow Airport in 30 minutes. The Ardshiel Hotel in Campbeltown is the right base. The crossing to Islay departs from Kennacraig (30 miles north); Campbeltown and Islay make a natural combined trip on the western seaboard.

Ardshiel Hotel
Hotel
White Hart Hotel
Hotel

Where to stay near Springbank

Hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering within easy reach of Springbank.

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Self-catering · longer stays · rural cottages

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Location

Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6EX

View on map →

Frequently asked questions

+Why is Springbank so hard to find?

Production is deliberately small-scale and the distillery is independent. They don't chase volume. Most bottles go through an allocation system to specialist retailers — sign up with a trusted whisky merchant to secure bottles.

+What are Longrow and Hazelburn?

Both are produced at the Springbank distillery: Longrow is heavily peated (55 ppm), Hazelburn is triple-distilled and unpeated. Three completely different styles from one still house.

+Is the distillery tour worth the trip to Campbeltown?

Yes — but only if you're already interested in the whisky. Combine with the Campbeltown Malts Festival in May for the full experience. The town and Kintyre peninsula are beautiful.

+Where is Springbank distillery?

Springbank is in Campbeltown. Postcode PA28.

Compare with similar distilleries

No direct comparison — Springbank is uniquely independent and artisanal. Closest in cult status and care is perhaps Daftmill (Lowland) or Kilchoman (Islay) for the farm/independent ethos.

islay
Open

Kilchoman

4.6

Islay’s first new distillery in 124 years when it opened in 2005, and a true farm distillery — growing its own barley, floor malting on site, bottling at source. The cafe is widely regarded as the best lunch on Islay.

lowland
Closed

Daftmill

4.8

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.

Other distilleries owned by J & A Mitchell

Distilleries that share Springbank's corporate parent — useful context if you're comparing house styles within an owner's stable.

campbeltown

Glengyle (Kilkerran)

The reborn Glengyle distillery, re-opened by Springbank’s owners in 2004 specifically to get Campbeltown recognised as a whisky region again. Bottled under the Kilkerran name to avoid confusion with an old Glengyle blend.

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