It was founded in 1845 by John Begg and is located near Balmoral Castle, which is privately owned by the British royal family. John Begg was appointed a purveyor to the royal household at that time, and the distillery could henceforth carry the designation "Royal" in its name.
From the year 1916, the distillery came under the ownership of the Distillers Company Ltd. Today, it is part of the spirits conglomerate Diageo.
An example from the renowned Classic Malts series of the producer is the 12-year-old Royal Lochnagar Whisky.