Founded by co-founders Bill Dobbie and Alasdair Day in 2014, R&B Distillers was created with a shared ambition to build Scotland’s leading new-wave spirits business. Drawn to the Isle of Raasay for its dramatic landscape, rich heritage and distinctive sense of place, the pair secured planning their mission in 2015 to transform the island’s historic Borodale House into a state-of-the-art distillery, visitor centre and luxury accommodation.

Rooted in Raasay’s heritage but intentionally designed to challenge convention, Isle of Raasay Distillery produces a distinctive lightly peated whisky style that balances elegance, complexity and depth from an early stage in maturation. Its signature six-cask maturation process creates a flavour profile that stands apart from traditional Scotch whisky styles, while its handcrafted Hebridean gin reflects the island’s character, geology and natural

diversity.

Designed to make whisky more approachable, inclusive and enjoyable, the distillery champions a modern take on Scotch - welcoming everyone from complete beginners to seasoned enthusiasts.

Every drop of spirit is distilled, matured, bottled and marketed directly from the island — maximising the influence of Raasay on the spirit, and the distillery’s impact on the local community. Today, the distillery employs more than 25 people, with an average age of 30, helping support long-term, intergenerational sustainability on an island community of just 161 residents.

Since opening, Isle of Raasay Distillery has become deeply embedded within the local community, supporting jobs, tourism and neighbouring businesses, while helping put the island on the global whisky map. The distillery was named Visitor Attraction of the Year at the World Whiskies Awards 2026 and secured a record-breaking Best Scotch Whisky title at the Global Spirits Awards in Las Vegas in 2025.

In October 2025, the business also expanded its accommodation offering with the launch of Na Bothain (“The Bothies” in Gaelic), a collection of luxury cabins on the island that has since been recognised as one of the Top 50 Places to Stay in the UK.