The distillery was built in 1963 and was firstly created to produce grain whisky for the Grants blends. The malt distillery soon followed on the same site, about a mile from the Ayrshire coast. The site was chosen for its good water source, the availability of labour, good communications via sea and rail and proximity to the blending halls of Central Scotland.
Ladyburn was very compact and one man could control the whole process from mashing to distilling. While the prime concern behind Ladyburn was to produce a solid, unexceptional malt for blending, it has now become a much sought after product due to its rarity as a single malt. The distillery was demolished in 1976.