Welcome to the Borders Distillery
THE BORDERS DISTILLERY
Our distillery opened in March 2018 – the first Scotch Whisky distillery in the Scottish Borders since 1837. We’re dedicated to capturing the true spirit of the Borders, and bringing whisky-making back to the region.
Our hometown of Hawick has a famous history of manufacturing – it’s where cashmere is king and where tweed was invented. There is a spirit of invention and enterprise in the town that inspires us in everything we do.
BUILDING ON TRADITION
The distillery’s founders have a keen sense of environmental and social responsibility, and wanted to support regeneration efforts in our corner of rural Scotland. Rather than erect a soulless new-build on the town’s outskirts, they chose to invest in refurbishing an existing building in the heart of the town, creating employment opportunities and a tourist attraction.
The distillery is an award-winning conversion of Hawick’s former electrical works, a prominent landmark in the town since 1903. Thousands of visitors tour the distillery every year, enjoying the sunny and airy feel beneath the glass roofs of our Mash and Still Houses.
See For Yourself
Join us on a tour
5* VisitScotland attraction with a 5* rating on TripAdvisor
NATURALLY GOOD WATER
The quality of Hawick’s water was a key element in the success of the town’s knitwear and Tweed industries. Now, we make use of this excellent water to distil our spirit.
For the water which goes into the spirit, we draw from an underground lake deep beneath the site. The lake’s water takes between 50 and 70 years to filter down from the hills through the rock. Even if it never rained again (unlikely in the Borders!) the lake contains enough pure water to last the distillery for thousands of years.
And right outside our front door, the River Teviot offers a continuous source of fast-flowing water – perfect for cooling the spirit as it comes from the stills, an important stage of the production process.