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.
9. Blair Athol (Perthshire)
Blair Athol Distillery was founded by John Steward and Robert Robertson back in 1978. Its name stems from the Scottish Gaelic Blàr Athall, Blàr is thought to mean field or plain while Atholl is thought to be ‘new Ireland’. The name is pronounced as “blair-ath-aull”. Photo: via WikiCommons
10. Abhainn Dearg (Isle of Lewis)
Abhainn Dearg Distillery can be found on Uig (on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis) and it was founded in 2007. In Gaelic its name Abhainn Dearg translates to “red river” and to pronounce its name you say “avin - jerrig”. Photo: via WikiCommons
11. Glenmorangie (Highlands & Islands)
You can find Glenmorangie Distillery 36 miles north of Inverness, it was founded in 1843. The name is thought to derive either from Gleann Mòr na Sìth (valley of tranquillity) or Gleann Mór-innse (valley of big meadows). It is pronounced “glen-moh-ran-jee”. Photo: via WikiCommons
12. Bruichladdich (Islay)
Bruichladdich Distillery is located at the wild Rhinns of Islay and was founded in 1881. The name is derived from the Gaelic words ‘brudhach’ and ‘chalddich’ which together translate to ‘brae by the shore’. You can pronounce its name like “broo-ick-laddie”. Photo: via WikiCommons