Charlestown Of Aberlour, Aberlour Glenlivet Distillery

NJ24SE 19 centred 26440 42480

Aberlour Distillery [NAT]

OS (GIS) MasterMap, September 2009.

The re-built distillery of 1880 covered 2 acres of ground. It consisted of a triangular block of stone buildings, of neat appearance and conveniently arranged for the various process of distillation. The Malt Barn was 121 feet long and 40 feet deep, at the end of which was two concrete Steeps capable of wetting 70 quarters of Barley at one time. Two Grain Lofts were capable of holding 3,000 quarters of barley. The Kiln measured 25 feet square and was floored with wire cloth. The heat being generated by peat in open "chauffeurs". The Mash and Still houses were about 50 feet long by 30 feet broad and contained an iron Mash-tun, 12 feet in diameter and 4 feet deep. The Tun room stood over the Mash house and contained 5 Washbacks, each holding 4,000 gallons. The Spirit Store contained a Vat capable of containing 1,750 gallons and received spirit from the stills. From here the whisky was casked, branded and sent to one of the two Bonded Warehouses. Both were constructed from stone, roofed over with corrugated iron. One Warehouse measured 40 feet wide by 100 feet long. The other was 80 feet by 40 feet. There was no steam power at the distillery, the continuous flow of water being sufficient to drive all the machinery, which included grinding, mashing, elevating, steering and pumping. The annual output was 80,000 gallons, which was sold principally to England and Scotland. The Chief Excise Officer was Mr. FJ Irvinson, the Brewer being at that time a Mr. R Gauld.

A Barnard 1969.

Aberlour-Glenlivet distillery (also known as Aberloir Distillery and Aberlour House) is situated at the SW end of Charlestown of Aberlour village (NJ24SE 26), on the S side of the Burn of Aberlour. It was founded in 1826 by James Gordon, and rebuilt in 1879-80 by James Fleming Junior. It was rebuilt again after a fire in 1898, and re-equipped in 1973 with four pot stills.

With the exception of the ornate offices (built in 1897) adjacent to the main gates, the principal buildings have been covered with a grey roughcast render. The distillery was in operation at the time of survey, and was operated by Campbell Distillers (part of the Ricard Group).

M S Moss and J R June 1981.

Aberlour distillery. Air photographs: AAS/97/06/G11/5-7 and AAS/97/06/CT.

NMRS, MS/712/29.

A photographic survey of Aberlour Distillery was undertaken by RCAHMS in order to capture the 'flavour' of the site. It included pictures of the offices by the main gate, which were thought to be very 'pleasing'. The rest of the site being thought to be not particularly 'picturesque', being largely grey rendered structures.

Visited by RCAHMS (MKO), August 1998.