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A. D. Rattray Whisky Shop is an independent whisky company with over 150 years of experience in selecting and maturing Scotch whisky. Discover more about our story, our history and our whiskies when you visit our Whisky Shop.
Located in the heart of Ayrshire, you will find us within the beautifully renovated old village school in Kirkoswald, less than an hour South of Glasgow.
The character of Souter Johnnie became famous worldwide thanks to his appearance in just a few lines of the famous poem by Robert Burns, ‘Tam O’Shanter’. We get a real insight into his character from the lines, ‘and at his elbow Souter Johnnie his ancient, trusty, drouthy crony.’
The poem was inspired by an old legend but many of the characters were drawn from real Ayrshire people that Burns knew. Souter Johnnie was based on John Davidson, a shoemaker from Kirkoswald.
The cottage is now in the care of The National Trust for Scotland, and is packed with artefacts from the time. You can also see a changing exhibition of local arts and crafts in a small gallery inside.
A thatched outbuilding in the garden houses life-sized sculptured of Tam, Souter Johnnie and Nance Tumnock, just as Burns portrayed them, ‘fast by an ingle, bleezing finely’.
Browse our ever-changing range of Single Cask and Single Malt whiskies, including many shop exclusives like our House Malt and Warehouse Collection.
As single cask whiskies are at the heart of what we do, you will also find two casks “on tap” in our shop. Have a bottle filled from the cask and sealed in wax, add your hand-written label to complete your personalised whisky.
A warm welcome awaits you at the A. D. Rattray Whisky Shop.
Additional Information
Blue badge parking
Cyclist welcome
Disabled access
Free Wi-Fi
Listed on Visit Scotland's website
Parking
Walkers welcome
32 Main Road, Kirkoswald KA19 8HY