Maps and historyData study
Scotch distilleries operating per year, 1740 to 2026
152 Scotch distilleries are operating in 2026, the most since 1912, against a peak of 168 in 1899.
152 Scotch distilleries operating in 2026, the most since 1912; the peak was 168 in 1899
By region same scale; the dot marks each region's peak
The figures by decade
| Decade | Operating in the first year | Lowest | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1740s | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1750s | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1760s | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 1770s | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| 1780s | 9 | 9 | 11 |
| 1790s | 12 | 12 | 23 |
| 1800s | 23 | 23 | 25 |
| 1810s | 30 | 30 | 53 |
| 1820s | 54 | 54 | 103 |
| 1830s | 110 | 110 | 127 |
| 1840s | 126 | 124 | 130 |
| 1850s | 130 | 123 | 130 |
| 1860s | 123 | 119 | 123 |
| 1870s | 119 | 119 | 129 |
| 1880s | 129 | 129 | 133 |
| 1890s | 133 | 133 | 168 |
| 1900s | 167 | 157 | 167 |
| 1910s | 157 | 143 | 157 |
| 1920s | 143 | 103 | 143 |
| 1930s | 96 | 86 | 96 |
| 1940s | 94 | 93 | 97 |
| 1950s | 97 | 97 | 106 |
| 1960s | 108 | 107 | 119 |
| 1970s | 118 | 118 | 123 |
| 1980s | 120 | 88 | 120 |
| 1990s | 97 | 90 | 98 |
| 2000s | 92 | 91 | 100 |
| 2010s | 100 | 100 | 129 |
| 2020s | 133 | 133 | 152 |
Events marked on the chart and their sources
- Excise Act (1823). Source: (from dataset event tables / general history).
- 1820s licensed-distilling glut / post-Excise-Act shake-out (1825 to 1831). Source: H. Charles Craig, The Scotch Whisky Industry Record (1994); Neil Wilson, The Island Whisky Trail (2003/2013)..
- The Pattison Crash (1898 to 1901). Source: Pattison Crash features (Barlist / scotchwhisky.com / Whisky Magazine), 2023-2025..
- The 1920s Campbeltown collapse (1920 to 1934). Source: Distilleries of Campbeltown, David Stirk..
- The 1980s Whisky Loch closures (1983 to 1986). Source: Whisky Magazine 'Silence is golden', Issue 195 (Dec 2023); H. Charles Craig, The Scotch Whisky Industry Record (1994); Malt Whisky Yearbook 2016; Scotch Missed, Brian Townsend..
Left out because our records show them closed without a closure year: Broombrae (from 1833), Drumin (from 1824), Haddington (from 1813), Kilbagie (from 1777), Stromness (from 1817).
The count climbed after the 1823 Excise Act, peaked in the Victorian blending boom, halved by the 1930s, fell again after 1983 and has risen since. The timeline shows the openings and closures behind each step, the distillery map shows where they were, and our lost distilleries page compares prices on closed distilleries’ whisky still on sale.
- The count fell from 168 in 1899 to 86 by 1935, the lowest since 1824.
- The 1980s closures took it from 120 in 1981 to 88 in 1988: a quarter gone in seven years.
- Campbeltown had 28 distilleries working in 1834 and has 3 today.
Source: Uisge Beatha distillery records: status periods, industry contractions and milestones. Updated 24 October 2026. Free to reuse with a link to this page.
About this data: method, downloads and sources
How we did it
What counts. Each distillery in our records has a dated history of status periods: active, mothballed, closed or dismantled. A distillery counts in a year when one of its active periods covers any part of that year, so a distillery that closed in 1983 counts in 1983 and not in 1984. Mothballed years do not count. The 22 planned distilleries never count. Five closed distilleries have an opening date but no recorded closure year; rather than count them as working to the present, we leave them out and list them under the chart.
What it is not. This counts the 297 Scottish distilleries in our records that have a dated history, not every licence ever granted. Our records are thinnest before the 1823 Excise Act, when much distilling was unlicensed, and for small sites that lasted a few years in the 1800s, so the early counts are a floor rather than a census. Grain distilleries kept only in our separate grain list are not included.
Dates. Built from our distillery records as checked on 23 October 2026. For the history behind each date, see the timeline and Whiskipedia.
Download the data
Free to reuse with a link to this page.
Sources
- Uisge Beatha distillery records: status periods, industry contractions and milestones
- Whiskipedia: Scotch whisky history and lost distilleries
Prices are the shelf prices we recorded at UK retailers on the dates shown and change daily. Uisge Beatha compares prices; it does not sell whisky or give investment advice. Please enjoy whisky responsibly: drinkaware.co.uk.