Strathisla is the oldest continuously operating distillery in Scotland. It was founded as the Milltown Distillery by George Taylor in 1789 as an alternative to the waning of flax dressing industry. He leased the land from the Earl of Seafield

Earl of Seafield

Earl of Seafield is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1701 for James Ogilvy, who in 1711 succeeded his father as Earl of Findlater. The titles remained united until the earldom of Findlater became extinct in 1811. The earldom of Seafield is still extant, however...

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By 1830, the distillery was owned by William Longmore, later William Longmore Ltd. In 1879, the distillery suffered terribly from a fire, but was rebuilt with a bottling plant. Bought in 1940 by Jay Pomeroy, a fraudulent financier, it was later acquired in 1942 by James Barclay of Chivas Bros.