Whisky making returns to The Cabrach after more than 170 years.

Whisky production has returned to a historic Speyside community after nearly two centuries, with the first distillation at The Cabrach Distillery reviving the craft of whisky making in this unique part of Scotland.

Heralding the return of real Cabrach whisky after a long sleep of more than 170 years, the first distillation from The Cabrach Distillery has been marked with an exclusive ceremony, attended by Kate Forbes, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic.

Widely regarded as a birthplace of malt whisky, The Cabrach is a unique part of Scotland on the rugged edge of Speyside where Highland geography, rich cultural history and a distinctive community spirit intersect to create an inimitable sense of place. This is where the illicit Scotch story began, a place where three legal distilleries thrived following the dawn of legal production in 1823, and now, once again, a place where The Cabrach Distillery is reigniting these time-honoured traditions while also working to regenerate the local community.

 In front of over 100 guests, including the local community and members of The Cabrach Collective, first distillation of the new spirit took place at Inverharroch Farm, within painstakingly restored 19th century stone steadings. The Cabrach Trust’s community-led regeneration plan will also see the development of a bistro and heritage centre alongside the distillery, offering hospitality to visitors.

 The Cabrach Distillery is a social enterprise, the first Community Interest Company of its kind. Purpose-driven and community owned, The Cabrach Distillery aspires to meet the highest social and environmental standards, creating skilled employment alongside volunteering opportunities. All future profits generated by the distillery will be used to further progress The Cabrach Trust’s community regeneration vision.

 The Cabrach Distillery’s first spirit ceremony follows a successful application by The Cabrach Trust to secure capital funding from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund; a commitment targeted at projects in the North East and Moray which contribute towards the region’s transition to net zero.

 During the ceremony, the Deputy First Minister inspected the distillery stillhouse as the historic first spirit flowed through the spirit safe. Thereafter she delivered a speech in the dunnage warehouse, reflecting on the bravery of the project and the transformational economic impact The Cabrach Distillery stands to realise as the centre piece of The Cabrach Trust’s strategy.

The Cabrach Distillery will distil, mature and bottle a handcrafted single malt Scotch whisky of unparalleled provenance on a very limited in scale. Bottles of Cabrach Single Malt Whisky will be scarce and highly sought-after.

Jonathan Christie, Chief Executive Officer of The Cabrach Trust, said:

“Our first distillation represents a long-awaited, landmark milestone in our journey to revive the lost spirit of The Cabrach. This is a project that will serve as the economic lungs of our regeneration vision for this special place, attracting thousands of visitors to the area, captivated by the incredible history and timeless landscapes of The Cabrach. 

“It has been a privilege to share this occasion with the Deputy First Minister, and we greatly appreciate the Scottish Government’s continued support of our mission. The wild spirit of The Cabrach will now be filled into fine casks to begin its patient maturation which, in time, will culminate in the release of The Cabrach Single Malt Scotch Whisky.”

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:

“The Cabrach Distillery was one of the first projects to secure monies from the Just Transition Fund, a £75 million Scottish Government initiative to create jobs and support innovation across the North East and Moray.

 “As a social enterprise and whisky distillery it’s a unique part of the vibrant food and drink sector which makes a valuable contribution to the national and local economies. Today’s ceremony signals the start of a new chapter for The Cabrach and its ambitions to be a leading example of community-led, rural regeneration.”

 Grant Gordon OBE, Founder & Chair of The Cabrach Trust, added:

“The Cabrach is my home as well that of my ancestors, but in my lifetime, I’ve witnessed firsthand decades of abandonment and decline.

“Since The Cabrach Trust was established in 2013, we have witnessed the growing support of the community, further strengthened by an ever-increasing membership. The creation of The Cabrach Distillery sits at the heart of our regeneration aims for The Cabrach. This is a unique community asset that will celebrate an important part of The Cabrach’s cultural identity, whilst creating an extraordinary Single Malt Whisky. I’m immeasurably proud today.”      

To assure early success, The Cabrach Distillery has introduced The Cabrach Collective, a small community of founding champions who will join the journey to revive the long-lost craft of whisky making in The Cabrach. The unique membership programme offers much more than a special whisky package. It offers whisky lovers the chance to become part of a tale of renewal and play a vital role in restoring a proud community like few others. 

The Cabrach Collective members will gain access to an exclusive range of bottlings, including the premier release of The Cabrach Single Malt Scotch Whisky, crafted with meticulous care and only available to Collective members.

Membership of The Cabrach Collective also includes The Feering series of three Speyside blended malt whiskies and access to future collective-only distillery releases offered exclusively to members for annual purchase. 

Members are welcomed with a reception pack including The Cabrach nosing glass and can enjoy annual visits to Inverharroch Farm to discover the unparalleled community regeneration project firsthand.

The Cabrach Collective is limited to 1,849 members, in tribute to the old steadings, home of The Cabrach Distillery, which have stood at Inverharroch since 1849. Membership of The Cabrach Collective is available for £1,245 per person. 

A registered charity formed in 2013, The Cabrach Trust was set up to preserve the cultural heritage of The Cabrach and safeguard its remote community. Founded by Grant Gordon OBE, the Trust has advanced a community-led regeneration plan that has underpinned the development of projects such as the historic distillery and heritage centre, creation of the Discovery Trails, coordination of a rural skills and wellbeing programme, creation of a Cabrach Tweed, relaunch of a lost Highland Games, and much more besides.

About The Cabrach and whisky

The illicit distilling of whisky in Scotland was seen as a ‘right of man’ at the end of the 17th century and no place in Scotland did a higher concentration of illicit distilling happen than in The Cabrach. Attempts to enforce excise duty on the spirit were therefore met with resistance, ranging from riots to the adoption of ever more inventive ways of avoidance. 

The Cabrach’s inhabitants showed extraordinary ingenuity in this clandestine activity, creating an unparalleled network of stills and smuggling routes to evade revenue officers. Spirits 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 fortunes in the process.

However, legal production in The Cabrach also emerged for a short but crucial period in Scotland’s malt whisky story. By the time spirit once again flows from licensed Cabrach stills, over 170 years will have passed since legal distilling in the area came to an end. In 1823, a significant change in legislation succeeded in encouraging three Cabrach families to establish distilleries on their farms – Blackmiddens, Lesmurdie, and Tomnaven. For more than 30 years, these distilleries flourished and Cabrach whisky continued to be held in the highest regard. However, one by one they closed, as they were hard to reach and not economically viable.

The Cabrach Trust’s development of The Cabrach Distillery is well underway. This transformational project is designed to breathe new life into the area; famed for its role in the birth of malt whisky. The Distillery will showcase the craft and alchemy of making Scotland’s national drink and tell the story of the historic region.

Once complete, The Cabrach Distillery, wholly owned by The Cabrach Trust, will be unique in quality, purpose, and limited scale. Producing 100,000 litres of spirit each year, with barley sourced from the fields adjacent to the distillery and nearby farms, the project will maintain an overarching commitment to environmental sustainability. Importantly, Cabrach Distillery is a social enterprise, with future revenues set to support the Trust’s community regeneration mission.

For further information about The Cabrach Distillery or to sign-up to The Cabrach Collective visit www.thecabrach.com.