Skye, Carbost, Talisker Distillery, interior. Still House: detail of spirit safe and cast-iron feints receiver (below). These, and most of the plant, were installed by Abercrombie of Alloa in 1962 in ...

Description Skye, Carbost, Talisker Distillery, interior. Still House: detail of spirit safe and cast-iron feints receiver (below). These, and most of the plant, were installed by Abercrombie of Alloa in 1962 in the aftermath of the 1959 fire.

Date 1994

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number C 24394

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 741053

Scope and Content Spirit safe and feints receiver, Talisker Distillery, Skye, Highland Talisker Distillery, the only single malt distillery on Skye, was established in 1830 by brothers Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill. It was renovated 1880-7, and expanded in 1900. Triple distillation was abandoned in 1928 in favour of double distillation, in common with most other Scottish distilleries. After a fire in 1960 most buildings were replaced, but the distillery's maltings were demolished in 1972. This shows the spirit safe within the still house. This padlocked glass and brass box allows the stillman to monitor the flow of whisky from the stills and divert it to be re-distilled or sent to the spirit vat for maturation in casks. The cast iron feints receiver below holds the latter part of the spirit run before re-distillation. As soon as spirit is produced and flows from the condensers into the spirit safe it becomes taxable and has to be protected from theft by Customs and Excise Crown padlocks. The stillman has to tell by eye when the spirit is at its purest, and is aided by hydrometers which measure the specific gravity (alcohol content) of the product. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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