Now open in Chichibu! The story of
"The Highlander Inn" led by Tatsuya Minagawa!

The Highlander Inn in the village of Craigellachie, Speyside, Scotland, is a legendary establishment known to everyone in the whisky industry. And because its famous owner, Tatsuya Minagawa, is Japanese, it holds sacred status for Japanese whisky enthusiasts too. Here's a firsthand report on The Highlander Inn from our local staff member!!

writer：Chie Kelly-Kano（スコットランド在住）

The Highlander Inn in Craigellachie Village. Photo by the author.

If you're involved in whisky, this is an absolute must!

The Spey River basin, stretching approximately 172 km through northeastern Scotland, is a renowned Scotch whisky region packed with over 50 whisky distilleries. (Commonly known as Speyside!)

Located in this Speyside region, Craigellachie is a tranquil village with a population of around 500. Within the village stands the Craigellachie Distillery, founded in 1891. On the vast grounds immediately adjacent lies the Macallan Distillery, well-known even in Japan.

In this village of Craigellachie, there is a whisky bar that whisky enthusiasts and industry professionals from around the world frequently visit.

Its name is "The Highlander Inn".

It's a bar attached to a small hotel with just eight rooms, reminiscent of a blend of a Japanese ryokan and minshuku. Its current selection boasts around 300 whisky brands, ranging from expensive rarities to affordable everyday whiskies.

Furthermore, they release several original bottles each year through collaborations with various distilleries.

"If you're involved with Scotch whisky, The Highlander Inn is an absolute must."

That's what the director of a cutting-edge Scotch whisky distillery I interviewed once said.

It's commonplace for global business deals to be struck here, and in fact, this distillery reportedly opened its sales channel to Japan through The Highlander Inn.