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Glenlivet, Old Distillery
Distillery (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Glenlivet, Old Distillery
Classification Distillery (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 87427
Site Number NJ12NE 24
NGR NJ 187 283
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/87427
- Council Moray
- Parish Inveravon
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Moray
- Former County Banffshire
There is little to be seen of the Old Distillery at Glenlivet, which was the first whisky distillery to be licensed in Scotland after the Distillery Act was implemented in 1823. Whisky was produced here until 1858. At this time, the distillery was moved to another site further down the valley, where whisky production has continued to this day.
The Glenlivet Distillery was founded in 1824 by Captain George Smith, who saw an opportunity for success at a time when illicit distilling was bringing increasing risks for less reward. Smith had already been operating an illicit still on his farm of Upper Drumin since 1817: it may be that this early distillery occupied the same site.
In 1994, the Centre for Field Archaeology carried out a survey of the Old Distillery site. They identified various mounds and platforms which could be the remains of buildings associated with the distillery, as well as dams and water channels which would have controlled and supplied the water required to power machinery and carry out the distilling process.
Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project
NJ12NE 24 187 283
For (present) Glenlivet Distillery (NJ 195 290), see NJ12NE 9.
NJ 187 283. A survey was conducted in March 1994 at the Glenlivet Old Distillery site. This was the first distillery site to be licensed in Scotland under the Distillery Act of 1823, although it is presumed that distilling took place here prior to this date. The site went out of use in 1858. Fig 15 shows the surveyed components of the distillery site, and the numbers in the following descriptions refer to this plan.
(1) Heather Cottage: derelict but still roofed building. The original structure on this site may have been the home of George Smith, the founder, and the distillery offices.
(2) Collapsed drystone wall.
(3) Level platform, representing the limit of previous construction around Heather Cottage.
(4) Rectangular mound, possibly the foundations of a building.
(5) Scarp possibly related to terrace (3).
(6) Water channels once feeding dams (7) and (8), recently recut by machine.
(7) Disused and drained higher dam, possibly used as a water source for soaking the barley and the distilling process itself.
(8) Lower dam, still operational, possibly used for collecting waste water and powering a water mill to its NE.
(9) Four mounds, possibly peat stacks.
(10) Level platform, probably a building foundation; a monument on this platform commemorates the foundation of the distillery.
(11) Rectangular platform; probably the remains of the malting floors or warehouse facility.
(12) Chimney forming part of the malt-drying kiln or the still furnace; the latter is a more likely explanation, as the chimney appears to have been located at the gable end of a structure, whereas malt kilns were usually located in the centre of a building.
(13) Two irregular mounds, possibly representing the remains of a water mill.
(14) Length of field bank.
(15) Mound, possibly a ramp.
(16) Track, probably post-dating the use of the distillery.
(17) Track, present on first edition OS map coverage of 1869.
NJ 187 285: The foundations of a building, yard and enclosure lie c.100m N of the distillery site.
Assistance provided by the Regional Archaeologist for Grampian Region was gratefully received. A full report is lodged with the NMRS.
Sponsor: The Chivas and Glenlivet Group.
CFA 1994h.
Excavation (27 June 2022 - 10 July 2022)
NJ 18746 28379 As part of the Pioneering Spirit project, a partnership between the NTS and The Glenlivet, further archaeological excavations were carried out at the site of The Glenlivet Old Distillery. This site was set up by George Smith in 1824 and ran through until 1858, when production was moved downhill to the current distillery site.
Two trenches were excavated this year: Trench 3, from 2021, in the SE corner, was expanded and a new trench, Trench 6 was excavated to the W.
Trench 3 was an area 11m long by 9m wide, and revealed the exterior wall of the farm buildings at its SE corner, with the interior of part of the S and E ranges. The inner SE corner of the courtyard, which sat between the three ranges, was also located and a wide doorway led from the paved yard into the stillroom.
On entering this room there were three fire-pits, which would have been situated below the ‘copper’ (the boiler), the wash still and then the spirit still. The stone foundation within which these fires were positioned would have been built up to support the beaten copper stills, and only the lower courses survived. Large iron bars would have formed a grate upon which the coal would have been burnt, leaving an area for the ashes to be cleared out underneath. An iron hinge and part of an iron door plate indicate that these fires would have been closed off. To the N of the stills a flagstone floor 3m wide would have been the area from which the fires were tended.
As the trench was expanded to the S and E, a couple of
significant circular features were found built into the floor level. The first was a vat c1.5m in diameter with the wooden floor and side walls still intact – the wood must be around 200 years old. It is possible that this vat represents the ‘under back’ where the sugary liquid was drained off from the mash tun (positioned above?) and allowed to cool before being pumped to the wash backs for the fermentation process.
The second circular feature, 1.8m in diameter, sat to the SE. It was stone-lined with a clay base upon which sat a lattice framework of squared timbers. These timbers obviously formed the support for another vessel (now gone) but this one could be inspected all the way round and underneath. It is likely, therefore, that this was where one of the spirit receivers sat and into which the whisky was collected from the spirit safe and was checked by the exciseman. The remains of another timber lattice frame sat further to the S and may also have been where a receiver was located.
In the SE corner were the remains of an earlier iron barrel or vat hoop and this area had clearly been used to dump rubbish or material that could not be recycled or re-used in the new distillery when it was moved down the hill in 1859. It was from this location that a wide a range of artefacts were found including the sections of copper pipes and offcuts, the remains of a possible pump and a pair of old boots. A silver coin of George III, which dated to 1810–1820, at the end of his reign, was also found in this area.
Trench 6 was located to the W of Trench 3 but it appears that the walls have been robbed out in this area.
Archive: NTS, Highland HER and NRHE Funder: NTS
Derek Alexander and Daniel Rhodes – The National Trust for Scotland (NTS)
(Source: DES Volume 23)
