The new distillery which is located on the Easter Elchies estate in Speyside, took three years and six months to complete, and has one of the most complicated timber roof structures in the world, comprising of 380,000 individual components.
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| The New Macallan Distillery Still Room |
Edrington is investing a total of £500 million in the brand, of which the £140 million distillery is the centrepiece. This programme includes an increase in investment in whisky; enabling production to increase by a third if required, warehousing and in Macallan’s signature sherry-seasoned oak casks. The new distillery, will also see the creation of 60 new jobs.
Elgin-based Robertson Construction completed the complex architectural design, working with 25 contractors to bring the vision for the new distillery and visitor experience to life. During construction, up to 400 people specialising in more than 20 different trades were employed on site.
The striking piece of contemporary architecture is cut into the slope of the land, taking its cues from ancient Scottish hills and maximising the aesthetic beauty of the building whilst minimising the visual impact on the Speyside landscape, which has been classified as an ‘Area of Great Landscape Value’.
Commenting on the news, Ken Grier, Creative Director at The Macallan, said: “As The Macallan has grown globally it has been very important that we make sure we can sustain demand for this wonderful amber liquid. We’ve taken exceptional care in making sure that the spirit that is produced in the new distillery is identical to the spirit that we produced in our previous distillery. This is the beginning of a really exciting new chapter in the evolution of this wonderful brand that is The Macallan.”
The new Macallan distillery visitor experience, will open its doors to the public on 2nd June. It is expected that visitor numbers will double in the first year and continue to rise thereafter.
Posted by Steve Rush