Linkwood Distillery was established in 1821 by Peter Brown, agent and agricultural reformer of Linkwood Estate, and commenced operations three years later. After 1842, James Walker from Aberlour Distillery (who later founded James Walker & Company) managed the facility. Upon Peter Brown's death in 1868, the distillery passed to his son William, who demolished and reconstructed it in 1874. The family enterprise was incorporated as Linkwood-Glenlivet Distillery Company Ltd in 1897. Five years later, Innes Cameron, a whisky broker from Elgin, joined the board and would control the company until his death in 1932, when the distillery was acquired by D.C.L. The distillery underwent major renovations in 1963. In 1971, a new "Waterloo Street" style distillery was built adjacent to the original, increasing the still count to four—a testament to the exceptional quality and demand for its spirit. Linkwood is classified as a premium malt whisky and serves as a crucial base spirit for "enhancing" several renowned blended whiskies. The new facility was designated Linkwood B, operating in parallel with the original Linkwood A until the latter's closure in 1985. Spirits from both distilleries were blended before casking. In 2011, the distillery closed for six months to install new mash tuns and control systems. In April 2013, the original building was demolished to expand Linkwood B's still house, incorporating the remaining two Linkwood A stills and six new washbacks.

In 1936, Roderick Mackenzie was appointed manager of Laphroaig. A Gaelic-speaking native of Wester Ross, he supervised the distillery's production for years with meticulous dedication, insisting on replacing equipment only when absolutely necessary. According to Professor R.J.S. MacDougall, he even refused to clear away spider webs for fear of altering the distillery's character. Professor MacDougall's reference pertains to the 1962-1963 renovation, when the new stills were built as exact replicas of the old ones—a tradition of S.M.D.