Longrow Distillery

Whisky distillers, Campbeltown

1824 Longrow took its identity from the street of that name in Campbeltown. The distillery was built by John Ross, with backing from John Colville and John Beith, operating initially as John Beith and Co. It was one of only two distillers listed in the town for 1825-26, just prior to the subsequent whisky boom.

1837 By now the business was trading as Colvill, Beith and Co and the number of local distillers had reached 27.

1840 After John Beith's death a new partnership was established. His son, John junior, combined with John Ross and John Colville to trade as Beith, Ross and Company.

1876 The partnership was dissolved and the distillery was thereafter under the proprietorship of John Ross and Co.

1886 John Ross, at the age of 85 said to be the oldest living distiller in Scotland, was around just long enough to greet Alfred Barnard on his visit to Campbeltown. He died soon after and the business was continued by William and James Greenlees. Barnard commented on the old-fashioned character of the premises, perhaps a clue to its subsequent fate, which produced 40,000 gallons of whisky annually.

1896 The distillery closed.

See Also

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Sources of Information

• Pigot and Co's New Commercial Directory of Scotland for 1825-6
• Pigot and Co.'s National Commercial Directory of the whole of Scotland and of The Isle of Man 1837
• Edinburgh Gazette March 3 1876
• Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory and Topography of Scotland 1886
• Alfred Barnard "The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom" (1887)
• David Stirk, The Distilleries of Campbeltown: The Rise and Fall of the Whisky Capital of the World (2019)