George Smith established his distillery in 1824, being the first distiller to take out a licence after the passing of the Excise Act in 1823.  This, along with Glen Grant became part of Seagram in 1977.  The Glenlivet suffix has been used by other distilleries, as the whisky from "The" Glenlivet had become so famous, that the owners took legal action in the 1880's to put a stop to this practice.  A gentle, easy-going malt, and an ideal introduction to the range of Speyside malts available.  The distillery is very much geared up for tourists, and the former maltings is now a hi-tech visitors centre.
 
 

Established in 1824, the Macallan distillery was extended in the early '50s and again in 1959.  So great was the demand, however, that the number of (small) stills was increased from six to twelve in 1965, 18 in 1974, and 21 in 1975.  All Macallan malts are aged in various types of sherry cask, normally oloroso, which helps impart a glorious keep colour, as well as a full, deep, well-balanced flavour.  Harrods once pronounced it "the Rolls Royce of malt whiskies" a tag which Macallan are not slow to remind prospective converts/imbibers.  In 1993 a barman in Osaka, Japan paid £6,400 for a bottle of 60 year old Macallan.
 
 

This fortress like distillery was built in 1794 with much rebuilding over the years.  The stillhouse was updated in 1969-1972 and has two stills.  It occupies a dramatic site overlooking the harbour.  During enlargement in 1890, a cave was discovered containing bones from the Mesolithic era 4500-3000 BC.  Lightly peated, this is a superb dram, with a long lasting finish with a touch of liquorice.
 
 

The original Clynelish distillery was the old, now closed, Brora distillery next door.  So the current building was only established in 1968.  Now part of United Distillers, it has six stills.  Please bear in mind that this malt has been bottled straight from the cask, hence the high ABV.  So you will be able to assess it much better if you add an equal measure of still spring water.

A comparative newcomer, this was established in 1880.  The names means "mouth of the river" and it is the most northerly distillery on Islay.  As a consequence, its whisky is not as heavy or as peaty as the previous two, and as such is it much more approachable to people wishing t acquire an "Islay palate".  It was extended from two to four stills in 1963.  The twelve year old is delicious, with a smooth, rounded finish, with an enticing sweetness to it.
 
 

The only distillery on the Isle of Skye, the current site was founded in 1830.  It was rebuilt from 1880-1887 and further extended in 1900.  Rebuilt again 1960-1962 after the stillhouse was destroyed by fire, it now has five stills.  The spirit was triple distilled until 1928 from when it has reverted to a double distillation.  The malt itself is very definitely NOT a starter malt, with a pungent, powerful flavour, with nuances of burnt heather, amongst other things.  It is also very smoky, with a salty finish.

One of only two distilleries on the isles of Orkney, this is the most northerly of all Scotland's distilleries.  It was enlarged from two to four stills in 1898, and produced a very well-balanced, annoyingly moreish malt whisky.  In the 18th century, before production was legal, or licensed, the distiller was also a local church minister.  When the excise men came calling, they left empty handed as what they were looking for was cleverly concealed under the church pulpit!
 
 

Established in 1815, the distillery was increased from two to four stills in 1923, to six in 1969 and to seven in 1974, suggesting a rapid growth in popularity in a short space of time.  It is generally perceived to be the most individual of all Scottish malts.  The peat used by Laphroaig is said to contain a high proportion of moss in its content, which gives the malt its bizarre flavour of seaweed, iodine, beach tar and athletic liniment!  Indeed very few people enjoy their first dram, and it is a malt to persevere with.