Banff

Founded in 1824 by James McKilligan, the Banff distillery originally operated at a different location before James Simpson moved production to Inverboyndie in 1863 to utilize the local railway. Throughout its century-long presence in the Highland region, the site suffered numerous disasters, including a devastating fire in 1877 that required a six-month rebuild. Ownership transitioned to DCL and SMD in 1932, but the site remained a target for misfortune. During World War II, a Luftwaffe bombing on 16 August 1941 struck the warehouses, causing significant loss of stock, though production managed to resume in 1945.

The post-war era brought further instability, marked by a dramatic stillhouse explosion in 1959. Despite these setbacks, Banff continued to produce its distinct malt until the final closure in 1983. The physical structures were subsequently demolished, and a final fire in 1991 destroyed the last remaining warehouse, effectively ending the site's history. While categorized as Speyside in some catalogs, the distillery is historically verified as a Highland producer. Its legacy survives through limited historic stocks, including liquid that once served the House of Commons, representing a lost style of complex, perfumed whisky from a site defined by survival and eventual loss.