Heritage

Clackmannanshire: The Birthplace of Modern Distilling

Clackmannanshire holds a distinguished place in Scotland’s distilling heritage.

Serving as the birthplace of modern distilling through the pioneering efforts at Kilbagie and Kennetpans Distillery.

These sites laid the groundwork for the Scottish whisky industry, influencing practices still in use today.

The Stein Family’s Distilling Legacy

The earliest record of a distillery in Clackmannan dates to 1713. By the 1730s, Kennetpans had become the largest distillery in Scotland.

In the 1770s, brothers James and John Stein—innovative farmers from the nearby Kennet estate—expanded their operations by founding Kilbagie Distillery.

By 1776, the two distilleries were producing over 3,000 tons of spirit annually—an unprecedented scale. The Stein brothers paid more excise duty than the rest of Scotland combined. With its own harbour, Kennetpans shipped vast volumes of spirit to London, where it was often re-compounded into gin.

This success, however, drew heavy taxation from the English government to protect their domestic producers.

These levies eventually bankrupted the Steins in 1786. Though operations continued for decades, Kennetpans never regained its former prominence and was later converted into a fertiliser works by 1871.

The Haig Family: Pioneers of Grain Whisky

In 1751, John Haig married Margaret Stein, intertwining two influential distilling families. Their five sons honed their craft at Kilbagie and Kennetpans before establishing their own distillery at Cameronbridge in 1824.

This venture gave rise to the Haig brand, which became Scotland’s best-selling whisky from the 1930s to the 1970s.

Today, Cameronbridge remains Europe’s largest grain distillery and continues to produce Haig whisky, now under the ownership of Diageo.

The Jameson Connection: From Scotland to Ireland

In 1751, John Haig married Margaret Stein, uniting two powerful distilling families.

The Haig brand later became Scotland’s top-selling whisky for much of the 20th century. Today, Cameronbridge is Europe’s largest grain distillery, operated by Diageo.

The Steins also shaped the history of Irish whiskey.

In the 1780s, John Stein owned two of Dublin’s largest distilleries. His relative by marriage, John Jameson, managed the Bow Street site—initially Stein-owned—before purchasing it outright. The Jameson brand would go on to become one of the world’s most iconic whiskies.

At Heart of Scotland Distillery, we honour this legacy by crafting our gin and vodka with the same innovation, dedication, and respect for tradition that defined Scotland’s early distilling pioneers.