HISTORY - THE GLENLIVET DISTILLERY

“Glenlivet has its castles three

Drumin Blairfindy and Deskie

And also one distillery

More famous than the castles three”

Scotch whisky is first recorded as far back as 1494, when it is referred to in accounts of King James IV of Scotland , but its traditions and indeed its manufacture undoubtedly go much further back. To the Highlanders of old, nothing seemed more natural than to use the good clear water, surplus barley, the plentiful peat and the inherited skills of the ‘cunning chemists‘ to produce ‘Uisge beatha’ - the water of life...

“Give me the real Glenlivet....The human mind never tires o’ Glenlivet...If a body could just find out the exac’ proper proportion and quantity that ought to be drunk every day, and keep to that, I verily trow that he might leeve forever, without dying at a’, and that doctors and kirkyards would go oot o’ fashion”

Certainly here in Glenlivet the traditions of whisky manufacture and its reputation for curing the ailments of Highland life have survived for many hundreds of years. The distillery at Minmore is one of three that now operate within the Glenlivet Estate. Today ‘The Glenlivet’ is generally accepted as one of Scotland ’s truly great single malt whiskies, with a reputation that spreads far and wide. The distillery was first founded in 1824 by George Smith a local farmer, who with help and support from the Duke of Gordon’s factor James Skinner, set up the original still, slightly further up the hill than the site of the present distillery you see here today. Smith’s gamble in selling off his cattle, crops and agricultural implements to raise funds and the taking out of a licence to legally produce the spirit, proved to bring the name Glenlivet, fame and acknowledgement the world over - so much so that many distillers out-with the glen have historically added its name as a suffix to their own product - such that it has been described as the longest glen in Scotland!

Prior to 1824, and for a long time after, illicit distillation in the district was rife, following attempts by government, to raise taxes on whisky production. Secluded hills afforded many secure sites for the illegal stills, and lonely, quiet hill tracks provided routes out of the glen for the smugglers to distribute their wares. In such an environment, George Smith’s opportunistic decision to go legal, was considered treacherous and while some accounts differ, it appears that there were no shortage of contemporaries to condemn his action.

“Smugglers who had been his friends and confederates threatened to burn the new distillery down. The convoys of packhorses which he used to take his whisky over mountain tracks to Perth and Edinburgh were ambushed. He was harassed, abused and reviled. A robust and independent character who did not give way to intimidation, Smith mounted a guard in the distillery for years and carried with him a pair of pistols”

Such was his luck however, combined with skilled marketing and the use of contacts cultivated by the Duke of Gordon and his factor, the quality product quickly became famous and successful in London and elsewhere - a fame which has endured remaining undiminished in modern times.

The new exhibition centre at the distillery is well worth a visit but if you choose not to go in, there are a number of other nearby attractions to enjoy here - not least the ducks in the ponds beside the road, who oblivious of 40 tonne lorries often make the perilous journey to the other side, where they may sometimes be seen dodging the fierce horns of the russet coloured Highland cattle, in the field opposite the warehouses. These shaggy animals, at home in the wild Highland weather have an appearance reflecting the wildness of the scene itself, for beyond, the view stretches up Glenlivet, into the remote recesses of the Ladder Hills so renowned for the seclusion offered to the smugglers of old.

Close to the distillery lies the ruins of Blairfindy Castle . This fortified tower house was completed in 1564 by John Gordon of the Huntly family. In its heyday it was a fine example of an L-plan castle, providing defensive fire to cover all four walls, with special defence of the main entrance from the projecting wing. In 1586 Blairfindy passed to the Earls of Huntly who used it as a hunting seat. In 1647 the 2nd Marquis of Huntly, a Royalist was captured in Delnabo (near Tomintoul) by a parliamentary force and imprisoned in Blairfindy before being tried and executed in Edinburgh .

The location of the Castle was well suited to controlling the main access to Gordon country from across the Ladder Hills. Unfortunately it is now in a dangerous condition and no access within the surrounding fence is possible.

From the distillery it is possible to follow the unclassified road further up the glen to reach Tomnavoulin. Known locally as ‘Gallowhill road’ this is a delightful twisting, by-road which offers some magnificent views onto the surrounding hills, dominated by the conical summit and tors of Ben Rinnes in the east, which at 840m (or nearly 2,800 ft) is the highest of the hills in these parts. The very name of the road is a stern reminder of the power of the Blairfindy laird - and the gallows from which it got its name are believed to have stood prominently on the corner of the road near Gallowhill cottage.

Close to Tomnavoulin at the entrance to Clash Wood a car park marks the start of two attractive walks which offer a choice if you wish to stretch your legs. One of the walks - Walk 5 - is one of the most varied and scenic of the waymarked routes available on the estate, and it will take you through forest, farmland and heather to the top of Carn Daimh where the view on a clear day is outstanding and the panorama of the Cairngorms and the surrounding hills is truly memorable. A much shorter forest walk - walk 9 - takes you on a 2 mile circuit around the Clash woodland. While this walk involves a bit of an uphill climb, the route is mostly open as it circles the edge of the woods and provides some expansive views over Glenlivet.

If you follow the Gallowhill road it is worth pausing a few minutes on the highest point of the road to look across Glenlivet onto the farms of Nevie and Auchorachan. With keen eyesight you should be able to pick out a large upright stone in one of the fields. This is the standing stone of Auchorachan and it stands about 200 yards from the main road through the glen about 2 metres out of the ground. No doubt if the stone could speak it could tell many a strange tale, but there has been at least one incident in its long and eventful history which is worth recounting, one which is often referred to especially by some of the older folks in the glen.

It was some 160 or so years ago that the farm of Auchorachan was farmed by a Captain Grant, having returned from the Napoleonic wars. As a military officer, he liked to have his own way and was of a stirring and enterprising disposition. On his return from the wars he set about improving the land and started work on a new farm steading. One great complication that arose however, was the lack of suitable building stone which was somewhat deficient in the district and it seemed that the work would be brought to a standstill. But the captain was not a man to be easily put off and with a keen eye for building stones soon spotted the resources of the neighbourhood and one day said to his servant, Sandy Gordon, “Aye Sandy, this is a fine state of matters isn’t it ? Glenlivet seems better supplied with water for making whisky than with stones for building houses” “But it behoves us to make good use of the material we have at hand, so today you will yoke the oxen to the sledge and bring over that big stone standing on the brow of the brae there; it will make a capital lintel for a byre door”

“What na’ that stane, sir?” said Sandy , “ye dinna mean the Standing Stane?”

“I mean that stone on the brae” said the Captain

“its of no use there, but only in the way of the plough”

“Weel sir said Sandy seriously, “Stanes may be scarce, but I wadna advise you to meddle wi’ that ane”

“Why not?” asked the Captain sharply.

“Weel you see sir , it’s nae a common stane an’ shouldna be put to a common use. I’ve heard it said that it was ance pairt o’ a kirk or place o’worship, or in some way or ither coneckit wi’ religion, an’ therefore sacred. It’s nae lucky to meddle wi’ things o’ that kind”

The Captain ignored this advice and Sandy had to do what he was told. The stone was duly removed from the field and built into the wall and by and by the steading was completed and filled with valuable cattle.

Such is the perversity of fate, for within a few weeks, the cattle were struck down by a mysterious disease and one by one began to perish. No cure that was tried had any effect and all the cattle doctors of the district both professional and amateur were called on and consulted. It seemed that all would die and the Captain face ruin.

“By George Sandy” said the Captain as another animal was buried “This is the most terrible enemy I have ever encountered”

“I think I ken what’s the matter wi’ the beasts” Sandy replied.

“You do? Then what the dickens is it ?”

“It’s no the dickens - nor the dockins - but the stane -the standing stane that ye have me tak’ from the brae yonder.”

“By George” came the reply “ there certainly may be something in that tale of yours after all”

Despite all his gusto, the Captain was not one to deny a mistake and soon summoned the masons to set about removing the stone, which, in order to wipe out all cause of offence he replaced with his own hands in its exact old position in the field.

Sure enough as tradition has it, the disease abated and the remaining cattle lived. Whether it was the stone or simply the disease running it’s natural course may never be known, for despite the scarcity of building stone to this date, none have ever meddled with the Standing stone of Auchorachan, and there it stands in the field to this day, despite the inconvenience it may cause modern farm machinery.

If you wish to get a closer view of the stone it can be easily seen from the side of the main road which runs through Glenlivet, between Nevie and Auchorachan farms, and it is perhaps is no coincidence that one of the oldest place names in Glenlivet is the farm of Nevie - a name thought to be derived from a Greek word which means sacred place or grove - indicating a sacred site for the pre-Christian peoples of the area, who are known to have used standing stones like that at Auchorachan for the burial sites of chiefs or warriors.

A whisky smuggler

Glenlivet welcomes you to explore its tracks and byways.