Glenlossie Distillery was founded by an excise officer and several of his friends. John Duff was the former tenant of Fife Arms Estate in Lhanbryde. His partners included Alexander Grigor Allen, a local inspector in Moray (co-owner of Talisker Distillery after 1880), H.M.S. Mackay, a land agent and town surveyor for Elgin County Council, and John Hopkins, a London wine and spirits merchant (owner of Tobermory Distillery and the famous blended whisky brand Old Mull after 1880). Hopkins was the agent for the new distillery. In 1896, when Glenlossie-Glenlivet Distillery Company was established, Mackay took over management. The company joined D.C.L. in 1919 and was managed by S.M.D. from 1930 (licensed to John Haig & Company). In 1962, Glenlossie expanded from 4 to 6 stills. Ten years later, a new distillery called 'Mannochmore' was built next door (see related entries) and operated in parallel with the original distillery. This was part of S.M.D.'s expansion plan in the early 1960s (see 'Caol Ila'). Between 1968-1972, a large dark grains plant was built on the site, featuring a prominent white chimney visible for miles around. It could process 2,600 tons of draff and 8 million liters of pot ale per week from 21 distilleries, producing 1,000 tons of cattle feed.

"Except for the still house, which is built of stone, the distillery is entirely of cement construction, and as we descended the hill, the whiteness and purity were stunning in the sunlight." (Whisky culture historian Alfred Barnard, 1887) After 1896, the private railway on the Perth-Alyth line provided direct access to southern markets. "Glenlochy-Glenlivet Distillery has been effectively managed... new warehouses completed, with expansions or improvements being implemented almost annually, until 1917, when almost all Lowland malt whisky distilleries closed." (Brian Spiller) Glenlochy has always been the core malt for Haig and Dimple blends. It was the best-selling Scotch blend in the UK from the 1920s to the 1970s, and the first whisky to sell 1 million cases in the domestic market. After 1978, it disappeared from the home market, but overseas sales remained strong, at about 4 million cases per year (see "Cameronbridge").