Visiting Springbank

[DavidUK]

Could anyone who has visisted the Springbank Distillery give me opinions on if such a visit is worth the effort of making a long trip down the Kintyre Peninsula? Obviously I know they make great whisky but this doesn't always equate to a great distillery experience.

Any ideas if they have a 'distillery only' expression or a 'fill your own' from the cask?

Also, is there much else to see/do in and around Campbeltown warranting a two night stay, or would just one night be sufficient?

Thanks for your help

[Bud Light]

The boys will give you good info on distillery. I’ll focus on geography.

Kyntire Peninsula I find quite interesting. After they kicked me out of The George, Inveraray, for saying out loud that Tattie Heid is a buddy of mine, I decided to take a short ride to Campbeltown on my way to Oban. Kyntire's eastern side is nice (I took several very good shots of clouds advancing across Arran), but not recommended for people who do not like to drive slowly on a narrow road (definitely not in wintertime). It takes a while to get to Campbeltown, but I certainly enjoyed it.

Campbeltown is a rather neat place. Kind of like Detroit. But, if one is interested in exploring local history through cultural landscape analysis he may find it exciting. I took quite a few photos of old houses in the eastern part of town (east of Glen Scotia distillery), old warehouses, some neighborhoods off the beaten path, and so forth.

Is it worth staying more than one night? I guess that depends on one’s travel imperatives. Oh, there is that hotel north of town, on the main highway, with very good selection of malts. It’s hard to miss it.

[Pete Smoke]

Also, is there much else to see/do in and around Campbeltown warranting a two night stay, or would just one night be sufficient?

I haven't been, but don't forget Glen Scotia and Glengyle (although i don't know if these offer tours etc.).

[Pete Smoke]

Kyntire

Nearly.

[mongo]

Campbeltown is a rather neat place. Kind of like Detroit.

make up your mind.

[Anster]

Campbeltown is a rather neat place. Kind of like Detroit.

A few less skyscrapers though and a few hundred thousand less people! I'm heading that way soon myself (Campbeltown that is not Detroit) and looking forward to having a good nosey around any of the distilleries that are open to visitors.

[Mike R]

DavidUK, the 19th May is the day to 'fill your own' in Campbeltown

On May 19th it will be Springbank Distillery Open Day; master classes for Springbank and Glengyle, a couple of casks broached for purchasing bottles on the day AND a beer tent & barbie.

I hope to be there for the celebrations; flight booked from Glasgow 18th and a room booked for two nights in the Ardshiel Hotel - I've not been to Campbeltown for 15 years and I cannot wait for this!

Am being escorted/managed by a whisky heathen from Shetland; his job is to standby at the beer tent and make sure I get back to the hotel OK...

Mike R

[Mr Tattie Heid]

After they kicked me out of The George, Inveraray, for saying out loud that Tattie Heid is a buddy of mine....

Obviously they thought you were lying.

Campbeltown is a rather neat place. Kind of like Detroit.

Nearly as empty.

[Bud Light]

Kyntire

Nearly.

Ahh, close enough for writing that around 0300 being dead tyred and annoyed by a bunch of low flying helicopters.

[Bud Light]

Campbeltown is a rather neat place. Kind of like Detroit.

make up your mind.

I did. See MTH's comment below.

[peaty001]

Any ideas if they have a 'distillery only' expression or a 'fill your own' from the cask?

Also, is there much else to see/do in and around Campbeltown warranting a two night stay, or would just one night be sufficient?

Thanks for your help

It is no doubt a long drive down the peninsula. A challenge if you go on the Carradale road described by Bud Light.
lots of twists and turns and hills at 12-16%.
The main road is much more straighforward on the peninsula and will give you great views over to Islay and Jura. You might just see the sea haze that is reputed to put the salty character in the malts and I really like the shape of hills leading down to the shore from what was once sea bed.
The distillery is an eccentric mix of buidings placed around the stillhouse. You will sea the whole whisky making process grain to bottle. That's unique even on a basic tour. There are a number of different tours including Glengyle which is as straight and organised as Springbank is the opposite.
Onto the whisky...each visitor receives a miniture from a private bottling just for the tour.

The distillery itself will point you to two other places which are the treasure trove of whisky in the wee toon.
Cadenheads. Owned by Springbanks and selling Springbank, Hazelburn, Longrow the Cadenheads range all individual casks some at 46% others cask% and the Duthies range 46%. They have a few other vattings of regional style such as Mitchells (again a Springbank co) and some other whiskies and the legend that is Old Raj Gin (46% and 57%). The range of Springbanks will be generally available elsewhere and they do not undercut prices but the range is likely to be inclusive.
AND, wait for it, you can fill your own bottle from casks in the shop (Octave?). And you may want to visit the temple that is the Tasting Room. A large array of individual Cadenheads and Springbank bottlings and a couple of small (Octave?) casks on the go too sometimesOrganised tastings arranged for a reasonable fee too
Check out the website which should give details of all the above and a chance to join the springbank society which does offer a discount on springbank bottlings and sociaty only bottles from time to time.
The staff are very friendly too. And the open day a bit of a blast.

Yeah, you guessed right I have never ever in my life had a good time there.

[Anster]

Any ideas if they have a 'distillery only' expression or a 'fill your own' from the cask?

Also, is there much else to see/do in and around Campbeltown warranting a two night stay, or would just one night be sufficient?

Thanks for your help

It is no doubt a long drive down the peninsula. A challenge if you go on the Carradale road described by Bud Light.
lots of twists and turns and hills at 12-16%.
The main road is much more straighforward on the peninsula and will give you great views over to Islay and Jura. You might just see the sea haze that is reputed to put the salty character in the malts and I really like the shape of hills leading down to the shore from what was once sea bed.
The distillery is an eccentric mix of buidings placed around the stillhouse. You will sea the whole whisky making process grain to bottle. That's unique even on a basic tour. There are a number of different tours including Glengyle which is as straight and organised as Springbank is the opposite.
Onto the whisky...each visitor receives a miniture from a private bottling just for the tour.

The distillery itself will point you to two other places which are the treasure trove of whisky in the wee toon.
Cadenheads. Owned by Springbanks and selling Springbank, Hazelburn, Longrow the Cadenheads range all individual casks some at 46% others cask% and the Duthies range 46%. They have a few other vattings of regional style such as Mitchells (again a Springbank co) and some other whiskies and the legend that is Old Raj Gin (46% and 57%). The range of Springbanks will be generally available elsewhere and they do not undercut prices but the range is likely to be inclusive.
AND, wait for it, you can fill your own bottle from casks in the shop (Octave?). And you may want to visit the temple that is the Tasting Room. A large array of individual Cadenheads and Springbank bottlings and a couple of small (Octave?) casks on the go too sometimesOrganised tastings arranged for a reasonable fee too
Check out the website which should give details of all the above and a chance to join the springbank society which does offer a discount on springbank bottlings and sociaty only bottles from time to time.
The staff are very friendly too. And the open day a bit of a blast.

Yeah, you guessed right I have never ever in my life had a good time there.

Cheers for the lowdown Peaty001. I have an overnight in Campbeltown start of Aug before heading to Islay for a fortnight. I definitely want to visit Springbank if nowhere else, so will check out tour times etc. I really like how they do business; Ralfy's vlogs earlier this year really reinforced that for me. You get a sense that the town matters, that the people matter. I like that.

[Peat Sampras]

A lot has been said, well most of it. Here's my 2cents.

It's a nice ride down the Kintyre peninsula on the west coast and an easy one too. I went there two years ago without knowing what to expect, basically I went there because I had booked a ferry to Islay the next day and needed a place to sleep more or less near Kennacraig, that's how I landed in Campbeltown. I didn't even know it was a whisky region at that time.

I stayed in Craigard House on Low Askowmill road, a great place imho. It's an old victorian house which became as hospital and now is a hotel. The folks are nice and know a bit about whisky, and the food is not bad neither: http://www.craigard-house.co.uk/ . Plus, they arranged for a private visit of Glen Scotia (there are no regular tours, no website neither), which was my first distillery visit, and a good one as well. As I "had to go to Islay" (poor me ) later that day, I just filled a bottle of Campbeltown malt at Cadenheads and did not stay longer in Campbeltown but promised myself to return next year, and that I did.

Last year, I returned with a lot more whisky knowledge. For example, I have read David Stirks book on Campbeltown distilleries and otherwise soaked up every bit of info about that fascinating place. I stayed again at Craigard House, that time coming from Islay, and again it was a nice evening with a good blether with the other hotel guests and the landlords and a lot of pints and drams. Next day was Cadenheads and then the Springbank visit. It is a great tour, especially as this is the only distillery where you will see all steps of whisky production. Ok, I could just tell you watch Ralfys 7 or so vlogs and you will not need to go there but to smell the warehouse and to touch the peat and grains is still better.

The rest of Campbeltown, well, if you are not interested in the history of the place, will just be a run down little Scottish city. However, if you have read about it, you will see distillery remains all over and imagine what it has been like in the 1830s... I recommend you read the whisky story blog before going there: http://whiskystory.blogspot.com/ (the bits on Campbeltown start in September 2010).

You can head up north using the east coast, it's a nice road, not half as bad as everybody says, if you like rally driving That's what I did, and then took the ferry over to Arran...

There are other things than whisky in the wee toon, however I did not check them out. I imagine it must be nice to walk out to Davaar Island (which you only can do when the tide is low), or to head all the way down the Mull of Kintyre and to take a trip to http://www.sandaislanddreams.com/default.html ... also it seems they have a great golf course (I don't play)

Enjoy!