Longmorn was founded in 1894 by John Duff, an enterprising distiller who had previously been involved with Glenlossie and whisky ventures outside Scotland. He selected a site south of Elgin, where pure spring water and a private railway connection were available. This railway allowed raw materials to arrive and casks to be transported efficiently. From the beginning, the whisky quickly earned the appreciation of blenders.

In 1970, Longmorn became part of The Glenlivet Distillers. Through Seagram, the distillery later passed to Chivas Brothers, now part of Pernod Ricard. Most of its production was used for blended Scotch for many years, leaving Longmorn relatively hidden as a single malt. Official releases remained limited, while independent bottlers helped the name establish a strong reputation among enthusiasts.

Longmorn is known for a full, elegant Speyside style, with ripe pear, apricot, tropical fruit, creamy toffee, honey and gentle spice. Its rich yet refined spirit is particularly well suited to long maturation and is therefore highly valued by both blenders and single malt enthusiasts.

Douglas Laing is an independent, family-owned Scotch whisky company founded in Glasgow in 1948 by Fred Douglas Laing. He began as a blender and merchant, building his own inventory of casks sourced from a wide range of distilleries. Those early relationships formed the foundation of a business that is now managed by the third generation of the Laing family.

The company brings together two important disciplines. Carefully selected single cask malt and grain whiskies are released through ranges such as Old Particular and Xtra Old Particular. Douglas Laing also creates blended malts designed to express the character of Scotland’s whisky regions. Its Remarkable Regional Malts include well-known names such as Big Peat, Scallywag, Timorous Beastie, Rock Island, The Epicurean and The Gauldrons.

The whiskies are presented with a strong emphasis on character and authenticity, generally without added colouring or chill filtration. Following the acquisition of Strathearn Distillery in 2019, Douglas Laing also expanded from blending and bottling into distilling. In this way, the family company combines a long history of cask ownership with a distinctive and modern approach to Scotch whisky.