Island in a Bottle: Isle of Harris Distillery’s Shona Macleod

When the Isle of Harris Distillery opened in 2015, it wasn’t simply launching another Scotch whisky brand. It was attempting something far more ambitious: creating meaningful work in one of Scotland’s most remote communities and proving that world-class spirits could emerge from the edge of the Atlantic. There was just one issue. Almost no one involved had ever made spirits before.

The distillery’s original employees—known locally as the “Tarbert Ten”—came not from the whisky industry but from careers in construction and hospitality, among others. Together, they learned the craft of spirits production from the ground up, building both a distillery and a culture defined by curiosity and experimentation. That spirit of continual learning remains central to the Isle of Harris story today.

Few people embody that journey better than Shona Macleod. A member of the founding team, she joined as Guest Services Manager before discovering an unexpected talent for sensory analysis and blending, helping to make Isle of Harris Gin before shifting to whisky production and, in 2023, becoming official distillery blender. In her current role, she has guided the release of a line of young single malts including their newest addition, Isle of Harris Whisky.

In our conversation, Macleod discusses the challenges of distilling on a remote island, what makes Isle of Harris whiskies unique, and how a distillery founded to support the island’s community is now working with other Hebridean distilleries to bring that region’s unique whiskies to the world.

Note: This interview has been edited for clarity.

Drinkhacker: What is your background in spirits production? How did you become the official blender at the Isle of Harris Distillery?

Macleod: In December 2014, I joined the distillery as part of the “Tarbert Ten” and began my journey as Guest Services Manager. Our original small team were all involved in gin quality from the very beginning and we were tested to check if we had good sensory skills. It had never crossed my mind that I did or that it would be something I would enjoy but I did!  My involvement in the sensory and quality aspects of Isle of Harris Gin then naturally sparked a deep interest in whisky production and flavour profiles in both new make spirit and maturing whisky.

As we moved closer to launching our first whisky, we needed more in-house expertise in sensory work and blending, so I began a new chapter within the production team.   Learning the craft and science of distillation, maturation, and cask selection has been a huge learning curve for me.  Every day brings new opportunities, challenges, and the joy of creating something that reflects our island home.

Drinkhacker: I’ve read that there is an “always learning” mindset at the distillery. How has that been applied in your whisky-making?

Macleod: It’s quite an appropriate phrase when it comes to our whisky making as the distillery is only 10 years old, and we were all new to whisky making when we started out. The purpose of the distillery was to create jobs locally, as such, the company had to recruit people who lived on the island. With no history of distilling here in Harris, these roles were filled by a group of people who had no previous experience in the whisky industry. Our original distillers came from different backgrounds such as facilities management, engineering and the building trade. It was a big learning curve for all involved so we are always learning!

Drinkhacker: How has the distillery supported the broader community on Isle of Harris?

Macleod: The purpose of the distillery extends beyond making whisky and gin. Primarily by providing employment and career development opportunities in a small community and sustaining many families. It has helped keep some young locals on the island who may have gone elsewhere to follow a career path. Instead, they found interesting opportunities here. To others like myself with no experience in the whisky industry, it offered a new challenge and something for us to be proud of. The ability for many of us to live and work at home in Harris has had a really positive economic impact on the island.

More broadly, the aim was also to help boost tourism and be a catalyst for other small businesses to develop and make Harris a better destination for visitors. We have welcomed over 650,000 visitors through our doors since opening in September 2015 which is quite exceptional.

Drinkhacker: What are some of the challenges of producing single malt whisky on an island like Harris?

Macleod: Building a new business in a remote location is a challenge in itself in terms of logistics, infrastructure and added costs for almost everything.  From finding a suitable site with a fresh water source nearby through to the construction phase and all the challenges that brought wasn’t easy by any means. Specialist firms had to be used to construct the distilling plant, and the ongoing maintenance is costly as people have to travel from the mainland and stay over when work is being carried out if it can’t be handled locally. We rely on ferries to take all our raw materials in and finished goods away which can be challenging when we’re at the mercy of the Hebridean weather! We’re no strangers to shifting schedules and thinking on our feet.

Drinkhacker: How would you describe the Isle of Harris house whisky style? What sets it apart from whiskies from other regions of Scotland?

Macleod: It’s unique because it’s the first whisky from the Isle of Harris, at least the first legal one. I’m sure there were illicit stills many years ago! We set up our production processes to produce a certain type of new make spirit, one that was light and fruity and quick to mature but as no one had produced whisky commercially here before, we didn’t know how long it might take to be at its best, ready for release. Happily, we discovered that the maturation conditions are excellent at our warehouses on the shores of the Atlantic and within five years we had a good idea that we had something special.

In terms of style, there isn’t a ‘Hebridean’ style as such, so we weren’t aiming to produce a whisky that was particularly like any other in flavour profile. Instead, we set out to create a dram of distinction, fruity, floral and spiced with just a touch of smoke. The most important thing was that it was complex and full of character, just like the people making it.

Drinkhacker: What is unique about your production process?

Macleod: Our process is not hurried by time, everything is fairly slow such as the mash, the fermentations and the distillation time. Our distillers are involved with every part of the process, it’s not automated so they manually adjust steam valves and the cut point is made using sight and nosing skills. I think the human touch influences the character and quality of the spirit and importantly gives them real skills in the art of distilling that they might not have learnt in a larger distillery.

Drinkhacker: What is wood management like on the island? How did you settle on oloroso and Fino in addition to ex-bourbon for aging your whiskies?
Macleod: Cask availability is much the same as anywhere else, they just have to travel a little further to reach us! Some from Kentucky and some from Southern Spain. Our casks are delivered straight into the yard at the distillery, next to the shore at East Loch Tarbert where they sit until they’re filled before being sent to the maturation warehouses, 2 miles from the distillery. I’ve no doubt the proximity to the sea prior to filling helps add a maritime character to the whisky as it ages.

The original cask mix of ex bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill and Woodford Reserve, plus ex oloroso casks was decided on during the development phase when we had experienced consultants to help with recipes and production processes. Fino came a little later as a bit of an experiment, but we discovered that Fino casks mature our spirit really well in this climate.  In addition to our core cask portfolio, we have a small number of sweet wine casks from our friends at Chateau Biac in Bordeaux, Pennsylvanian Rye casks from Dad’s Hat Distillery, Pedro Ximenez, Palo Cortado and Orange Wine casks from our Spanish supplier, Yose y Miguel Martin in Heulva.

Drinkhacker: What is the maturation climate like on the island?

Macleod: We have quite stable temperatures through the year in The Hebrides, it never gets too hot or too cold which is an ideal atmosphere for whisky maturation.  The Island is directly on the Atlantic so there is always a lot of moisture in the air from frequent rainfall and sea mist, this humidity seems to aid maturation. It’s often very windy where the warehouses are located. This can encourage the angels share to disappear a little quicker, but it produces some great whisky in a relatively short period of time.

Drinkhacker: Other distilleries are following your lead in the Outer Hebrides. Are you working together?

Macleod: In 2018 we began to develop “The Hebridean Whisky Trail” with neighboring distilleries on the Isle of Skye – Raasay, Torabhaig and Talisker. Our aim was to put a spotlight on this part of The Hebrides as a whisky destination and a producer of world class spirits. With three of the four of us being new (Talisker pre-dated the rest of us by about 180 years!) it was always hoped that other Outer Hebridean Distilleries would emerge which they did in the years that followed. On the neighbouring island of Benbecula, North Uist Distillery and Benbecula Distillery have been established and joined the trail. It’s been fantastic to see new distilleries open up close by and welcomed with open arms. In addition, our friends from Tiree Distillery and Tobermory have also joined. Each year we have our own Hebridean Whisky Festival in September involving all the distilleries which continues to grow from strength to strength. Perhaps we’ll be granted an official region title one day, that’s our hope.

Drinkhacker: How does the new Isle of Harris Whisky fit into the brand’s portfolio?

Macleod: It represents a natural next step for the distillery, moving from a single flagship whisky to a broader range and builds our portfolio. With more maturing stock available, It’s an evolution rather than a change of direction. We want this dram to be seen as one to enjoy with friends and family rather than being viewed as a collectible whisky or one saved for special occasions. It’s really versatile so it can be enjoyed as a traditional straight dram or used in highballs and cocktails. Please try it and let me know what you think!

Drinkhacker: After a decade of whisky-making, what are you most proud of?

Macleod: I’m very proud to see the growth that the distillery has enjoyed and how much we’ve achieved in the past 10 years. Building an international award-winning brand from our small island in the Outer Hebrides, creating skilled jobs and marking our place in the history books are highlights for me personally.  The success of Isle of Harris Gin is ongoing and to now have three core whiskies on the market that we are truly proud of is a real milestone for us.

Drinkhacker: What will the distillery look like in another decade? What do you hope to achieve going forward?

Macleod: No one knows what the future holds, but we’ll strive to continue to produce world class spirits from Harris and look forward to continued growth. To build on the success of the first 10 years and to always remember the vision that our founder Anderson Bakewell had in those early years when he wondered to himself “how can we bottle the essence of this beautiful island and share it with the world”.

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