The Glen Albyn distillery was built on the site of a former mill in 1846 by James Sutherland, the Provost of Inverness, which was once home to many breweries and maltings. The site was turned back into a flour mill in 1866, before once again becoming a distillery in 1884. The distillery manager, John Birni, left to form a partnership with Leith blender Charles Mackinlay. They built the neighbouring Glen Mhor distillery in 1892 and bought Glen Albyn in 1920. Both distilleries became the property of the Distillers Company Limited (DCL) after it bought Mackinlay & Birnie in 1972. They were both closed in 1983—the truly annus horribilis of the Whisky Loch—and have since been demolished. A few rare official bottlings of Glen Albyn exist from the 1960s and 1970s, as well as in the Rare Malts range and independent bottlings.

A single cask Glen Albyn (#3348) matured in a sherry butt, distilled in 1979 and bottled in 2008. Le Clan des Grands Malts is a French club founded by whisky lovers in 1997. Members have access to exclusive bottlings and are able to participate in tastings and trips.