Jackton Distillery has been named a finalist for ‘Tourism Destination of the Year’ at this year’s Scottish Whisky Awards.
The independent, family-run Lowland distillery, near Glasgow, told Scottish News their visitor experience is built around giving people an “open and personal look” at how whisky is made inside a fully working distillery.
Tours take guests through the wider whisky-making process, including access to their laboratory, production areas and bonds, alongside guided tastings and time in the Tasting Bar.
Over the past 12 months, the East Kilbride-based distillery has welcomed more than 6,000 guests across tours, tastings, events, bar visits and overnight stays. Visitor access has also expanded by opening every Saturday and Sunday, publishing a detailed accessibility guide, securing a listing with Euan’s Guide and achieving Green Tourism Silver status.
Community has been another important part of the year for Jackton Distillery. It’s ‘Local Appreciation Weekend’ event welcomed 350 people from the surrounding area, while their participation in Glasgow Doors Open Days 2025 resulted in Jackton being named ‘Outstanding New Participant’.
Visitor feedback has also been very encouraging with 200+ independent five-star reviews across Google and TripAdvisor, alongside a 5.0 TripAdvisor rating and Travellers’ Choice 2026 recognition.
Katie O’Brien, Head of Tourism at Jackton Distillery, said: “Being named a finalist for Tourism Destination of the Year means a great deal to us because so much work has gone into creating an experience that feels welcoming, personal and genuinely connected to the distillery.
“We want people to leave Jackton feeling like they’ve seen and understood something they wouldn’t normally get to experience. That could be walking through our lab, seeing where the whisky is made and matured, or simply having time to ask questions and enjoy a dram with our team.
“We’ve also worked hard over the past year to make Jackton more accessible and to strengthen our connection with the local community. To have that recognised by the Scottish Whisky Awards is a lovely moment for us all.”
Other finalists in the category include Ardnahoe Distillery, Eden Mill St Andrews Distillery and Falkirk Distillery.
The 2026 finalists represent an impressive cross-section of Scotland’s world-renowned whisky industry, recognising excellence across both business and taste categories and celebrating the people, producers and products helping to shape the Scotch whisky industry. Forty-one distillers and companies and more than 130 Scotch whiskies were selected following an intensive judging process.
Among this year’s most highly anticipated awards is Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year, sponsored by Howden.
Six outstanding distilleries have been selected to compete for the coveted title, recognising exceptional performance, innovation and achievement within the Scotch whisky industry. They are: Ardnahoe Distillery, Borders Distillery, Cabrach Distillery, Dornoch Distillery, Glenmorangie Distillery and Loch Lomond Distillery.
Winners will be revealed alongside the recipients of this year’s business and taste awards at the official awards celebration on Thursday, November 26 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central.