Blair Athol Distillery            

Pitlochry, PH16 5LY        01796 482003   
www.discovering-distilleries.com/blairathol/  

From the Gaelic "Blar ath Fhodia" which means "plain of the new Ireland"!  
Page Updated 24/06/15
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Visiting

Blair Athol is a Diageo distillery - their only non-Classic Malt distillery that is open to the public. However it is included in the latest Classic Malt passport, so members get a free tour, normal cost £7, with a £3 discount voucher for each 70cl bottle of whisky bought, and the shop has a good range of Diageo malts available
The tour itself was informative if not exciting.
Like most Diageo distilleries Blair Athol is not photographer friendly, no photos allowed in any internal production areas.
Picture
Blair Athol Distillery with bike

Vital Stats

Status Active 
Built 1798
Stills 4 - 2 wash 2 spirit
Capacity 2,500,000 litres   
Mash
1st water  64°
2nd water  64°
3rd water  84°
Fermentation   2-3 days
Owner Diageo
Water Source  Allt Dour
Washbacks 6 Stainless Steel
Lyne Arms   slightly descending
Wash stills   13,000 litres
Spirit stills   11,500 litres
As mentioned in Getting There, Blair Athol distillery is a considerable distance from the village/station of Blair Atholl, but the whole area was once part of the Atholl Estate centred on Blair Castle. Not quite sure when or where the distillery lost its second L!
Blair Athol has been the home of the Bell's blend for many years.
2 additional stills added in 1973, 4 Larch and 4 Steel washbacks replaced by 6 of Steel in 2010.
Malt Madness, Wikipedia, WhiskyMerchants.co.uk 
Picture
Allt Dour - burn of the otter
Picture
Whisky Sleeping

Getting There

Click the map's Google logo to go to Google Maps - for Directions, Street View etc. 
Maps: Open Cycle   Bing   Nearby: Edradour, Aberfeldy
Less than a mile south of the middle of Pitlochry on the A924 (about 8 miles South of the village of Blair Atholl).
Nearest station is Pitlochry (PIT)   (1 mile) -  Live Train Times

Range

12yo Flora and Fauna bottling at 43%, with the Otter (Dour) on the label.Blair Athol is the only official bottling except for a cask strength (55.80% - £55) Distillery only bottling. Several independent expressions can be found, some from Bourbon casks unlike the  sherry cask F&F - see RMW for range of affordable independents. Most of Blair Athol's production is Bourbon matured for use in Bell's blends.
LFW, RMW, TWE

Cycling

Nearest Bike shops:
Escape Route  3 Atholl Rd, Pitlochry  01796 473859
Progression Bikes The Smiddy,St Ninians Wynd, Dunkeld 07825 322225
Bike Hire also available at: 
Blair Atholl Bike Hire at Food in the Park cafe at the new Gateway Centre adjacent to Blair Atholl Country Life Museum 01796 481500
Dunolly Adventures  Taybridge Drive, Aberfeldy  01887 820928
See also www.cyclehighlandperthshire.com/ 
Picture
Distillery only bottling in Distillery Shop
Photos on this page were taken by me. Click on photo to enlarge. Full size versions of all my photos of Blair Athol Distillery are available on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martynjenkins/sets/72157627399902159/