Mispronunciation in Scotland is nothing new, Scottish place names often challenge tourists as our heritage of Gaelic, Norse and Pictish (amid other languages) leads to some unique titles.
However, for uisge beatha (Scottish Gaelic for whisky or “water of life”) it may come as a surprise to some how unfamiliar many are with their pronunciations as it is one of Scotland’s biggest exports.
The Scotch Whisky Association said that “there are 53 bottles of Scotch Whisky exported every second to markets all over the world”. As Scotch Whisky distillery names are linked to Gaelic (which you’re familiar with as some English words are derived from Gaelic) it complicates things for English speakers as a Celtic language.
From the Scottish Highlands to the Lowlands, here are 17 of Scotland’s most famous distilleries, their meaning in Gaelic and how to pronounce their names today.
![You can find Auchentoshan Distillery at the foot of the Kilpatrick hills situated close to Clydebank. In Gaelic its name translates to ‘Achadh an Oisein’ which means ‘corner of the field’. It is pronounced like “och[as in loch]-en-tosh-en”.](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOmRlODJiMDYxLWY1ZGMtNDIxNC1iNTdiLTFmZmNjZWM3YTcwYjowYjIzZmVjZi0zNTQyLTRmNzktOWE3MS1hZjc1ZDQ3ZmNlNmY=.jpg?crop=4:3&trim=&width=800)
5. Auchentoshan (Clydebank)
You can find Auchentoshan Distillery at the foot of the Kilpatrick hills situated close to Clydebank. In Gaelic its name translates to ‘Achadh an Oisein’ which means ‘corner of the field’. It is pronounced like “och[as in loch]-en-tosh-en”. Photo: via WikiCommons
6. Cragganmore (Speyside)
Cragganmore Distillery can be found near Ballindalloch village in Banffshire, it was founded in 1869. The Gaelic form of its name, creagan mór, translates to ‘great rock’. You can pronounce its name like “kra-guhn-more”. Photo: commart via Flickr
7. Caol Ila (Islay)
Caol Ila Distillery is located on the North Eastern shores of Islay, it was founded in 1846. Its name derives from the Gaelic ‘Caol Ìle’ which means ‘sound of Islay’. Its name is pronounced “cull - eela”. Photo: via WikiCommons
8. Bunnahabhain (Islay)
Bunnahabhain Distillery can be found on the north side of the Island of Islay near Port Askaig, it was founded in 1881. Its name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic for ‘mouth of the river’ (Bun na h-Abhainn) and you pronounce its name like "bu-na-ha-venn". Photo: via WikiCommons