Interior. View of bellows. Digital image of A 33441.

Description Interior. View of bellows. Digital image of A 33441.

Date 1984

Catalogue Number SC 738386

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of A 33441

Scope and Content 'Pear' leather bellows for cooper work, Glenkinchie Distillery, Pencaitland, East Lothian Glenkinchie Distillery was established in 1837 by brothers John and George Rate, who went bankrupt in 1853 leading to the closure of the site and its reuse as a cowshed. In 1880 the Glen Kinchie Distillery Company rebuilt the premises, and production began once more. The floor maltings were last used in 1968, and now house a museum of malting. The distillery continues to produce whisky for Haig's blends. This shows a pair of bellows used to blow air into the fire in the cooperage, a special building for the construction and maintenance of barrels. The wooden staves which make up a barrel are fixed to the top ring and heated. This causes water in the wood to steam, allowing the staves to be bent without cracking as a cable and winch tighten them to fit the base ring. Barrels used for the maturation of whisky have previously contained either Oloroso sherry or American bourbon. The inside of casks and barrels are 'toasted' with flame to enhance the flavour of the finished whisky, which takes on its complex character from the wood. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap