On the rocks? Scotch distilleries pause production as an unsold ‘whisky loch’ grows.
29 September 2026
After a 15-year boom turbocharged by the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for Scotch whisky, Scotland’s most famous export, has slumped around the world, with the industry facing job cuts and closures.
Distilleries have paused production across Scotland to avoid adding to the glut of supply, known as a “whisky loch” – the equivalent of a “wine lake”.
Distilleries have paused production across Scotland to avoid adding to the glut of supply, known as a “whisky loch” – the equivalent of a “wine lake”.