Glenfarclas Distillery

Glenfarclas Distillery lies at the foot of Carn Guish, on the site of the farmstead of Recherlich.

Although whisky distilling began in 1836, Glenfarclas Distillery was extensively rebuilt in 1897 with further modernisation works carried out in the 1960s. Notable features include the characteristic pagoda-style roof on the still-house, and Glenfarclas has the distinction of possessing the largest stills on Speyside.

'The Ship's Room', a function suite in the visitor centre, features elegant oak panelling originally part of the smoking lounge on the 'Empress of Australia', a liner built by the Canadian Pacific Line in 1913. This was purchased by the distillery in 1973 for their newly-built visitor centre. By coincidence, an original set of blueprints for the 'Empress of Australia' came to light in the Archiestown Hotel, only a short distance from the distillery.

In 1865, Glenfarclas Distillery began its long association with the Grant family, who bought the distillery for the sum of #511.19s from its founder and tenant of Recherlich, Robert Hay. Since then, ownership of Glenfarclas Distillery has remained in the Grant family, with through generations.

Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project