The Isle of Arran was once home to over 50 distilleries and was a hotbed of illicit distillation and smuggling in the late 18th century, but it wasn't until 1995 that the Arran distillery began producing whisky. Its location in the north of the island at Lochranza was chosen for its water source and its tourism potential. Today it welcomes more that 60000 visitors each year. In 2017, expansion saw Arran's output double to more than 1.2million litres per year. In 2019, Isle of Arran Distillers open the doors to its second distillery, Lagg, in the south of the island.