Campbeltown Malts Festival

The Campbeltown Malts Festival is an annual four-day celebration of one of Scotland’s most historic whisky regions. Typically held in May, just before the Islay Festival, Fèis Ìle, the festival shines a spotlight on Campbeltown’s renowned distilleries, including Glen Scotia, Springbank and Glengyle, as well as Cadenhead’s independent bottler and emerging new distilleries.

The festival brings together whisky lovers for exclusive releases, limited-edition festival bottlings, distillery open days, tours, masterclasses, tastings, local music, food and craft stalls.

Key features of the festival include:

Distillery Open Days
Participating distilleries host dedicated open days, offering special tastings, behind-the-scenes tours and the release of exclusive festival bottles, such as the Kilkerran Open Day bottling.

Exclusive Festival Releases
A major highlight of the festival is the launch of limited-edition whiskies. Glen Scotia, in particular, is known for releasing special festival-edition bottlings, often featuring distinctive cask finishes, such as the 2025 release finished in Ribera del Duero red wine casks.

Events & Activities
The wider festival programme includes events such as the Glen Scotia Festival Dinner, charity tastings hosted by Cadenhead’s, live music, local craft stalls, food vendors and a range of whisky-focused experiences across the town.