The Antiquary, which was named after a Gothic novel by Walter Scott, is a blend created in 1887 by the sons of James Hardie, a merchant established in Edinburgh in 1861 who, like many others at the time, sold whisky, tea and wine. The company helped found North British, which ensured it a reliable supply of grain whisky. In 1917, the brand was sold to J&W Hardie Ltd, which was then bought buy Distillers Company Limited in 1948. The Antiquary has been a huge hit abroad since the 1980s. The blend is primarily composed of Highland and Speyside malt whiskies, a small quantity of Islay whiskies and grain whisky.

A bottle of The Antiquary 12 Year Old blend imported to Italy in the 1970s by S.I.L.V.E.R. Created by James Hardie in 1857, The Antiquary is named after a book written by Walter Scott. At the time it was bottled, Distillers Company Limited had granted J&W Hardie a licence for Benromach, which is used in this blend.