Bowmore is Islay's Oldest Distillery and home to the world's oldest whisky maturation warehouse, the No.1 Vaults. It's in this legendary warehouse that Bowmore Whisky has been meticulously matured by Master Distillers for over 240 years. The first recorded mention of Bowmore Distillery dates from 1779, but speak kindly to a few of the older islanders and they'll maybe whisper a rumor or two that distilling started here some time before that. Certainly Bowmore's founder, the merchant David Simson, bought the land in 1766. Exactly what happened in the years in between is anyone's guess!