In 1958, the government fully relaxed restrictions on whisky distillation. The post-war demand for grain whisky grew rapidly, leading to a huge production capacity gap. In response to this demand, many grain whisky distilleries were newly built, including Lochside, Girvan, Moffat, and Invergordon. Invergordon is located on the north shore of Cromarty Firth. According to the "Imperial Gazetteer" (1854), this was a "considerable place," "well-built, conveniently situated, and increasing in importance for the export of agricultural produce to neighboring countries." The population at that time was about 1,000. The port was named after its late 18th-century owner, Sir William Gordon. Since the Second World War, there had been several attempts to bring industrial activity to the northern Scottish Highlands. One of these was the construction of Invergordon Distillery, strongly promoted by Inverness Mayor James Gregor in the late 1950s. The site was chosen for good reason: excellent sea and road transport links, located on the edge of a famous barley-growing region, and possessing first-class water quality. Invergordon Distillers Ltd was established in March 1959, building the first and only grain whisky distillery in the Highlands. Production began in July 1961 with a Coffey still producing 25,950 liters of pure alcohol per week. Stanley P. Morrison was appointed as agent. In 1963, two more Coffey stills were added. In 1978, two more stills were added, these with extra columns to produce neutral spirits on a Dumbarton-type base (see relevant entry). These were designed by the distillery's own engineers. In 1985, Invergordon Distillery acquired the historic whisky company Charles Mackinlay & Company (see "Jura," "Glenallachie," etc.) for £78 million. Three years later, four directors implemented a management buyout. Their independence did not last long: Whyte & Mackay, which held 41% of shares, attempted a takeover in 1991 but failed, though it obtained a majority in October 1993 and gained management control. The subsequent history of Invergordon Distillery is tied to the rise and fall of Whyte & Mackay (see "Jura"). In 2007, Invergordon's owner Whyte & Mackay was acquired by United Spirits Ltd (USL) for £595 million; USL is a division of India's largest distiller and brewer, United Brewers Group. In 2013, Diageo acquired 28% of United Spirits and later announced its intention to acquire another 26% stake. The UK's Office of Fair Trading declared that Diageo's acquisition of United Spirits could lead to UK whisky price increases. In response, Diageo announced it would sell Whyte & Mackay. In May 2014, Emperador, a Filipino distiller headquartered in the Philippines, acquired Whyte & Mackay and its distilleries for £430 million. Emperador is the world's second best-selling spirit, selling 31,950,300 cases in 2013 (by comparison, the world's best-selling Scotch whisky Johnnie Walker sold 19,288,300 cases).

In 1965, a pot still malt whisky distillery named Ben Wyvis was constructed within the Invergordon grain distillery complex. It ceased production in 1977 (see 'Ben Wyvis' for details). In 1990, Whyte & Mackay released an Invergordon Single Grain Whisky, which is no longer available.