Portintruan opens in summer 2026. Elixir Distillers’ new distillery, under construction just outside Port Ellen on Islay’s south coast, filed its premises licence application with the Argyll and Bute Licensing Board on April 21, the last formal step before launch.
The distillery
Portintruan (pronounced port-nah-truan, “place of the stream”) takes its name from the historic farm on the site. It is owned by Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh, founders of Elixir Distillers and previously of The Whisky Exchange. Construction broke ground in late 2020, halted in 2024 after the collapse of main contractor ISG, and resumed in 2025.
Production
The Forsyths plant runs direct-fired stills and on-site floor maltings, two unusual choices for a brand-new Islay distillery. Wooden washbacks complete the traditional setup. Four distinct spirits are planned across single malt and experimental projects.
The team
Production is led by Georgie Crawford, former distillery manager at Lagavulin for over a decade, with previous roles at Caol Ila and Port Ellen Maltings. Visitor experience is in the hands of Jackie Thomson, who spent close to thirty years at Ardbeg. Both well-known names leaving Diageo and LVMH to build something from scratch.
Visitor centre and licence
The licence application reveals what to expect: a bar, an island-inspired restaurant, tasting rooms, and a retail shop selling whisky, cigars and merchandise. Requested on-sales hours are 10am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 11pm on Sunday. Off-sales stay at 10am to 10pm. Pop-up tastings, private events and weddings are planned for the busier months.
Portintruan will be Islay’s twelfth working distillery and the first new opening of 2026 after Laggan Bay, which started operating in early April. For anyone planning a trip between June and October it is worth keeping an eye on the visitor schedule: the centre is a short drive from the village of Port Ellen and Diageo’s revived Port Ellen distillery, and the southern cluster of Islay is changing fast.
