John MacDonald builds Ben Nevis distillery

Originally, the whisky is sold under the name “Long John’s Dew of Ben Nevis”

Her Majesty Queen Victoria visits the distillery with her 6-year old son Albert, the Prince of Wales (who is later to become Edward VII)

Long John presents a cask of his whisky to the Queen, which is transported to Buckingham Palace and is opened when the Prince turns 21 years of age)

Donald P. MacDonald takes charge of the distillery following the death of his father, Long John, who dies aged 58

He builds a new distillery nearby, known as Nevis distillery, in order to meet the growing demand for the whisky

The control of both distilleries stays in the hands of the MacDonald family until 1944

Canadan, Joseph Hobbs takes ownership of both Ben Nevis and Nevis distilleries

He quickly sells the latter to the adjacent Glenlochy Distillery

Coffey still installed

Ben Nevis Distillery becomes one of the first distilleries to produce both a malt and grain whisky at the same time

Ownership passes to Joseph Hobbs Jr. following the death of his father

Production ceases

Long John International (a subsidiary of Whitbread & Co) acquires the distillery and dismantles the Coffey still

Long John uses Ben Nevis distillery only for warehousing and trial production

Production starts again but only for a short time until it ceases in 1986

Japanese company Nikka Whisky acquires Ban Nevis distillery

New mash tun, washbacks and boiler installed

Production starts again

Visitor center opens

Ben Nevis Distillery celebrates its 200th Anniversary