Macduff was founded in 1960 by Glasgow broker Brodie Hepburn in partnership with Marty Dyke and George Crawford. In 1972, the distillery was bought by William Lawson, a subsidiary of Martini Rossi. Staying true to Italy’s taste for young whiskies, two single malts—one a 5 year old, the other an 8 year old—were released under the name Glen Deveron. In 1993, Martini merged with Bacardi, and Macduff became the property of John Dewar & Sons. The Glen Deveron brand was discontinued. Today, the whisky produced at Macduff continues to be used mainly for William Lawson, but The Deveron brand has also been relaunched. Several bottlings are also found among independent bottlers under the name Macduff.

A Macduff 18 year old distilled in 1978 and bottled by Signatory Vintage in 1997, matured in a sherry cask. Signatory Vintage was founded in 1988 by Andrew Symington, who previously worked at Prestonfield House, Edinburgh, where he would select casks specially for the hotel. In 2002, he bought the Edradour distillery in Pitlochry, in the Highlands of Scotland and moved Signatory Vintage to the site, including the warehouses opposite the distillery. A limited edition of 2,500 bottles.