Glenury Royal

Giving oneself a regal moniker is certainly one way to get attention, and in the case of Glenury Royal’s founder, Captain Robert Barclay, using his connections to a certain ‘Mrs Windsor’ helped him seal the deal, when he was granted the right by King William IV.

Captain Barclay was something of a brilliant all-rounder: part athlete, part member of parliament and a keen marathon runner to boot, his distilling exploits bought him widespread acclaim for making a whisky truly worthy of a king.

Sadly, despite such lofty aspirations, the distillery was closed in 1985 (another victim of the tough economic times faced by Scotch whisky that decade) and this Stonehaven delight was eventually demolished. Fortunately some casks have survived and Glenury Royal is proudly bottled as part of the Gordon & MacPhail Rare Old range.