Archaeology Notes

Event ID 693546

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/693546

NR44NW 42.00 centred 40430 45720

Distillery [NAT]

OS (GIS) MasterMap, April 2010.

NR44NW 42.01 NR 4045 4579 Lagavulin Distillery, Cottages

NR44NW 42.02 NR 40454 45628 to NR 40450 45663 Pier (Lagavulin Bay)

(Location cited as NR 404 457). Lagavulin Distillery, early 19th century and later. A small distillery with a 3-storey range of malt barns and a pair of pyramidal-roofed kilns. Most of the ther buildings are modern. There is a prominent red-brick chimney. The complex is served by a wood-piled pier.

J R Hume 1977.

Barnard's reflections, made in 1887, state that Lagavulin Distillery is said to be one of the oldest distilleries in Islay. The business having been founded in 1742. At that period it is said to have consisted of ten small and separate smuggling bothys for the manufacture of "Moonlight". Early in the 19th century the buildings were converted into a legal distillery, and in the year 1835 they came into the possession of J.L.Mackie and Company.

The Maltings, which were arranged on one side of a long open court, were 150 feet long and 36 feet broad. Attached to these buildings was a Kiln, measuring 36 feet by 28 feet. The Still House contained two old Pot Stills, one of them being a Wash Still holding 1,200 gallons. The other was a Low-wines and Feints Still holding 650 gallons.

The annual output at this time was 75,000 gallons. The make being largely used for blending purposes.

A Barnard 1969.

A RCAHMS photographic survey was conducted, during October 1999, in order to enhance and augment the National Monuments Record Scotland holdings. At the time of this survey the Distillery was still in use and had also been adapted for visits.

Visited by RCAHMS (MKO), August 1999.