The Cabrach Distillery prepares for launch in Moray’s whisky heartland
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Moray’s newest distillery has reached a major milestone as it prepares for its grand opening this summer.
The stills have now arrived at the Cabrach where whisky is about to be produced again for the first time in 170 years.
Made by the world-renowned coppersmiths Forsyths in nearby Rothes, the stills have been transported to Inverharroch Farm, where a 19th century stone steading has been painstakingly restored.
In addition to the distillery the steading will also eventually house a café and a heritage centre.
Richard Forsyth OBE, Forsyths’ chairman, said: “We are honoured to use our decades of expertise in helping to build some of the finest distilleries in the world to support The Cabrach Trust in realising its innovative vision for the distillery.
“The trust’s unique status as a community interest company will directly benefit the local Moray community.
“Also the Cabrach as a location is famed for the vital part it played in Scotland’s malt whisky story.
“These two factors were the main draws for us to become involved with supporting the project as much as possible.”
Before the legalisation of whisky, no other area in Scotland had a greater concentration of illicit production than the Cabrach.
Its inhabitants showed extraordinary ingenuity in this clandestine activity, creating an unparalleled network of stills and distribution to evade revenue officers.
Whisky made in the Cabrach travelled far and wide, across the border into England, to Scotland’s North Sea ports and beyond, lending solidarity to the struggles of the Jacobites – and making many rich in the process.
In 1823, a significant change in legislation succeeded in encouraging three Cabrach families to establish legally-regulated distilleries on their farms – Blackmiddens, Lesmurdie, and Tomnaven.
For more than 30 years, these distilleries flourished and Cabrach whisky was held in the highest possible regard, securing top billing alongside The Glenlivet.
However, their remoteness from urban areas impacted on their economic viability, and one by one the three distilleries closed.
Once home to more than a thousand residents, the Cabrach’s population declined to the fewer than a hundred who live there today.
The Cabrach Trust was set up during 2013 to reverse that decline and to preserve the area’s cultural heritage.
The distillery is scheduled to open in August, and will produce 100,000 litres of spirit each year, with barley sourced from adjacent fields and nearby farms.
It will also create a dozen full-time jobs and 50 volunteering opportunities, with all future profits legally enshrined to further progress the trust’s regeneration vision.
Jonathan Christie, the trust’s CEO, said: “The Cabrach is renowned for its role in the birth of malt whisky.
“Whisky distilleries are so often the lungs of rural communities, and our new distillery will anchor our regeneration vision, creating much-needed permanent, skilled employment.
“It will attract thousands of visitors to this special place, who will be able to discover the area’s rich history, heritage, and natural beauty.”
Ahead of the opening in August four local distilleries have each donated single casks which have been blended to create The Feering, which is the Cabrach’s inaugural release.
Meanwhile the Cabrach Collective has also been created.
This is a small community of founding champions whose numbers will be limited to no more than 1849 members – which is the year the steading was built.
Details about both The Feering and the benefits of becoming a member of the Cabrach Collective can be found at www.thecabrach.com
