A few more Scotch whisky distilleries you mispronounce
Scotch whisky distillery names are not the easiest thing to pronounce. The Gaelic roots of these names often trick people into applying familiar English pronunciations. But with practice, it is possible to say these names so correctly that Scottish people shake your hand in approval.
Hopefully, this mini-series of ours has helped you increase your confidence in getting them right. Here’s how you say a few more Scotch whisky distilleries you mispronounce.
A few more Scotch whisky distilleries you mispronounce
Aberlour looks simple to say but looks can be deceptive…
Aberlour: Pronounced: “AB-er-lour”
Forget your ab-er-LOO-ers or ab-er-lores. It’s “AB-er-lour”. Located in the village of the same name, Aberlour was founded in 1826 and takes its name from the Gaelic Aber “mouth of a river” and lour (a variant of “Lour Burn”), a nearby stream.
Clynelish: Pronounced “KLYNE-leesh”
Clynelish is derived from Gaelic, Clì meaning sloping or sheltered, and nèis meaning a meadow. The distillery is located near Brora in the Highlands of Scotland and was founded back in 1819.
GlenDronach: Pronounced “glen-DRON-ack”
Often mispronounced as glen-DRO-nach or glen-dro-NAK, Glendronach (“glen-DRON-ack”) comes from the Gaelic for Glen, meaning valley and Dronach referring to brambles or thorn bushes. The distillery is located in the Highland region near Huntly and was founded in 1826.
Aultmore: Pronounced “ALT-more”
In 1896 the Aultmore distillery was founded in Speyside, taking its name from the nearby Aultmore Burn, which supplies the distillery’s water. The word derives from the Gaelic for “Big Burn” or “Big Stream”.
Did you “ry-ack” when you should have “ree-akh’d”?
BenRiach: Pronounced “Ben-REE-akh”
BenRiach is pronounced “Ben-REE-akh”, with a slight “kh” sound at the end, not ben-RY-ack or ben-RICK. The distillery, founded in Speyside in 1898, gets its name from the Gaelic for mountain, Ben, while Riach means “grassy” or “grey.”
Fettercairn: Pronounced “fetter-KERN”
Fettercairn is derived from Gaelic, with Fothair meaning a slope or terraced land, and Cairn referring to a pile of stones or boundary marker. The distillery is located in the town of Fettercairn in the Highlands and has been since 1824, and it’s very tempting to call it fet-TER-cairn or fet-er-CAIRN. But don’t you go doing it.
Tomatin: Pronounced “Toe-MAH-tin”
I said TOM-a-tin for years. Some of you may well still do. But, alas, we were wrong. Say it like you’re going to say “tomato”. But not “tomato”. That wasn’t very helpful, was it? Damn you, language! Toe-mah-toe. Toe-mah-tin. Got it? Good. Tomatin comes from Gaelic, Tom, meaning “that pillock who broke your heart” “hillock” or “small hill” and atin, referring to a juniper bush. The distillery is located in the Highlands near Inverness and was founded back in 1897.
Bonus ball – Islay: Pronounced “EYE-lah”
Not a distillery, but a major part of Scotch whisky as one of its five recognised regions, Islay is mispronounced as is-lay or iz-lay. But it’s “EYE-lah”. The island in the Inner Hebrides is home to several famous Scotch whisky distilleries but the origin of the name “Islay” is uncertain. It is often linked to Old Norse or Gaelic, possibly meaning “island of the elder tree” or “island of the swift.”
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