UK. With great sadness, we report the passing of Stewart Hunter Laing, Founder of Ardnahoe Distillery and a stalwart of the Scotch whisky industry and duty-free sector over many years.
He died peacefully on 8 April aged 79, surrounded by his family.
A greatly respected figure in the Scotch whisky world, Stewart devoted more than six decades to the industry, earning widespread acclaim for his entrepreneurial spirit, deep knowledge and enduring passion.
He spent the majority of his career at Douglas Laing & Co Ltd, the family business founded by his father, Fred.
Stewart and his brother Fred (Jnr) were a fixture at TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes for many years, the Douglas Laing stand always attracting a regular flow of visitors who were guaranteed the warmest of Scottish welcomes.
In a warm and poignant tribute on LinkedIn, Ardnahoe Distillery said that even as Stewart faced health challenges in later years, he tackled them with characteristic stoicism and good humour.
Despite those challenges, he emained actively engaged in the business he loved, following developments closely and offering advice.
[The following information is courtesy of Ardnahoe Distillery]
His journey in whisky began with an apprenticeship at Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay, followed by further commercial training at Ballantine’s, before moving onto Douglas Laing & Co, the family business.
There, alongside his brother Fred and while raising a family with his wife Yvonne, he helped steer the company to international success, initially focusing on blended Scotch before pivoting towards single cask expressions around the turn of the millennium.
Among the company’s most celebrated creations was the highly regarded Old Malt Cask range.
Under Stewart’s leadership, the company received the prestigious Queen’s Award for Export Achievement in 1990.
In 2013, he embarked on a new chapter, founding Hunter Laing & Co Ltd with his sons Scott and Andrew.
While the company initially continued as an independent bottler, Stewart’s long-held ambition was to build a distillery of his own. That vision came to life with the creation of Ardnahoe on Islay, the island’s ninth distillery (pictured below), with production beginning in 2018.
At an age when many of his peers had long since retired, Stewart remained hands-on and closely involved in bringing the distillery to fruition.
His contribution to Scotch whisky was formally recognised through his induction as a Master of the Keepers of the Quaich in 2022, having previously been named a Keeper. He also served as a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers.
In a fitting and deeply personal coda to his remarkable career, Stewart spent 10 May 2024 in Edinburgh signing bottles from Ardnahoe’s inaugural release – a whisky that stood as the culmination of a lifetime’s dedication. It was, by all accounts, his proudest moment.
Away from the industry, he maintained a lifelong passion for football and was a devoted supporter of Scotland’s Queen’s Park F.C.
Stewart is survived by his wife of 49 years, Yvonne, his children Scott, Andrew and Anna, and his grandchildren, Alice and Penny.
The Moodie Davitt Report joins in expressing our sorrow and deep condolences to Stewart’s family and colleagues. ✈
