Oldest whisky maker on brink

Crieff – It has survived world wars, prohibition and The Great Depression but this may very well be the toughest time yet for Scotland’s oldest whisky maker.

The Glenturret Distillery was established in 1763 and is a popular stop for whisky enthusiasts.

Apart from the rushing river and a distiller rolling oak barrels into a filling house, The Glenturret, which closed to visitors during the Covid-19 lockdown, is eerily quiet.

Travel restrictions that came with the pandemic have caused sales to fall at the distillery, in pubs and restaurants and at airport duty-free shops.

But it is a 25% tariff on Scotch imposed by the United States in October 2019 and now a slowdown in exports to Europe after the end of the Brexit transition that is hitting profits the hardest.

“It has been a really tough period for us with Covid, US tariffs and Brexit as well,” the distillery’s managing director, John Laurie, said.

“Covid in particular affects our tourism. Then the export markets have been impacted by Brexit and Scottish whisky tariffs in America.” –