The Bothy Distillery, one of Scotland’s most remote distilleries, has marked a major milestone with the unveiling of its inaugural bottling: a hand-selected 12-Year-Old Aberlour Single Malt Scotch Whisky, forming the first release in the distillery’s Private Cask Collection.
The whisky was revealed by The Bothy Distillery team last night (Thursday 11th September) at an exclusive event in Edinburgh hosted by founder Kim Cameron and Master Blender Ron Welsh.
Matured in a bourbon hogshead and bottled at 56.1% ABV, the Aberlour single malt has been chosen not only for its flavour profile but it’s signature character.
Master Blender Ron Welsh, who led the first tasting of the whisky, said: “This malt reflects the qualities we want to embody – balance, depth, and character. It’s also an unusual cask from a distillery famed for sherry wood, making it highly collectable and unique.”
The inaugural bottling is limited to 327 individually numbered bottles, each priced at £98 and available exclusively from the Bothy Distillery.
The launch marks the first chapter of a bigger vision – The Bothy Distillery is set to open in late 2025, bringing legal distilling back to Glen Prosen.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Angus Glens were a smuggler’s stronghold. Hidden bothies sheltered their craft, while the Minister’s Path, the Cateran Trail, and the Kilbo Pass became secret lifelines. Today, that same sense of resilience and adventure inspires The Bothy Distillery as it begins its own chapter in the glen’s story.
Founder Kim Cameron on the inspiration behind The Bothy Distillery and its home in Glen Prosen, said: “The Angus Glens are steeped in history and resilience. Glen Prosen was a place once alive with illicit stills and smugglers’ tales. We want to honour the past, bringing whisky-making back to Glen Prosen – reimagined as the home of Bothy’s Glen to Glass philosophy.”
Ron Welsh brings extraordinary pedigree to Bothy Distillery, having served as Chief Master Blender and Strategic Inventory Manager for Allied and Beam Suntory, where he shaped the character of some of Scotland’s most iconic single malts. After retiring in 2022 following the acclaimed Bowmore Aston Martin series, he returned from retirement to guide Bothy Distillery, helping to define cask management and refine the future character of Glen Prosen.
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Also supporting the project is whisky specialist Karen Somerville, who sourced the cask and worked alongside Ron in preparing the release. With more than 15 years’ experience across the whisky industry and as a judge for multiple whisky awards, Karen brings further depth of knowledge and credibility to the Bothy team as it shapes future releases.
Kim Cameron added: “Our inaugural bottling is more than a whisky – it’s a story in a glass. Just as smugglers once defied the excisemen, known as the gaugers, and the Dragoon Guards were brought up from Couper Angus to stop production, the distillery seeks to capture that same spirit of adventure in its whisky, bringing the glen’s story to a new generation.
“With this inaugural bottling, The Bothy Distillery invites collectors, whisky enthusiasts and lovers of Scottish heritage to share in the spirit of a journey that is only just beginning.”
