Tucked beneath the vast slopes of Ben Wyvis in the Scottish Highlands, GlenWyvis distillery was founded in 2015 with a vision to bring the Dingwall community together by creating a distillery owned by its residents.
In 2016, GlenWyvis revived the town's long-lost distilling heritage, which had vanished with the closure of Dingwall's last whisky distillery in 1926. With the support of over 3,000 passionate investors, GlenWyvis made history as the world's first 100% community-owned distillery.
Alongside being 100% community owned, GlenWyvis is inspired by its landscape and in order to protect it, set out as a pioneer of sustainable distilling; this includes wind, hydro. solar, and biomass energy powering GlenWyvis' operations.
A Modern Revival with Historic Roots
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Dingwall was part of Scotland’s broader distilling boom. The area, rich in natural resources — pure Highland water, locally grown barley, and access to transportation via the Cromarty Firth — was ideal for whisky production. The Ferintosh area near Dingwall, in particular, was once famed for its legal distillation under an exemption granted in the late 17th century, making it almost a whisky haven of its time.
Ben Wyvis Distillery, founded in 1879 by D. G. Ross & Company, was a traditional Highland distillery producing single malt whisky. However, like many small distilleries of that era, it fell victim to changing economic tides and the collapse of the whisky market around the turn of the 20th century. The original Ben Wyvis Distillery in Dingwall ceased production in 1926 and was eventually demolished. For nearly a century, Dingwall - once home to whisky-making heritage - was without a distillery.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and GlenWyvis Distillery emerges as a phoenix rising from the ashes of Dingwall’s whisky past.
Founded in 2016, GlenWyvis is a community-owned distillery — the first of its kind in Scotland. Located just outside Dingwall, it marks the return of whisky distilling to the town after 90 years. The name "GlenWyvis" is a tribute to the area's legacy, combining “Glen” (glen of the River Skiach) and “Wyvis” (Ben Wyvis mountain, as well as a nod to the old Ben Wyvis distillery).
GlenWyvis was brought to life by local pilot and renewable energy advocate John McKenzie, who envisioned a sustainable, community-powered distillery that would reinvest profits back into the local area. Over 3,000 people from around the world helped fund the project via a record-breaking crowdfunding campaign.
What Makes GlenWyvis Special?
GlenWyvis isn't just about bringing back a lost tradition; it's about redefining what a distillery can be in the 21st century - sustainable, locally rooted, and globally supported.
We are proud to be bringing a fantastic release from GlenWyvis to our Caskshare community and look forward to helping GlenWyvis write a bold new chapter in the long story of Scotch Whisky.
You can still reserve our 3 year old GlenWyvis Ex Pedro Ximenez Sherry Firkin cask before it's bottled! We currently have 30 bottles left out of 50, so don't miss out on this oppurtunity to get your hands on this exclusive release!
Slàinte, The Caskshare Team.