Glenury Royal was founded in 1825 near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire in the Eastern Highlands by Captain Robert Barclay. The name of the distillery was taken from the nearby Glen in the district of Ury. Barclay himself was a colourful character. As well as being the Laird of Ury and the local MP, he was also a famous athlete who had walked from London to Birmingham in two days in 1799. He also had the somewhat peculiar distinction of being the first person to have walked 1000 miles in 1000 hours, a feat he accomplished in 1808.
