Brora

Distillery Name : Brora Distillery / Clynelish Distillery

Distillery Area : Highland, Scotland

Product : Malt Whisky

Operated Between : 1819 - Present

Current Status : Active

Location : Clynelish, Sutherland.

Map Grid Reference : NC897054

Current Owner : Diageo plc.

Notes : 

 

Timeline

1819 - Established by the Marquis of Stafford, later first Duke of Sutherland, as Clynelish Distillery to provide a use for the Barley grown by the tenants on his farms.

1825-1827 - First licensed to James Harper, Midlothian.

1827 - James Harper sequestrated.

1827-1828 - John Matheson.

1828-1834 - James Harper.

1834-1846 - Lease was transferred to Andrew Ross.

1846 - George Lawson took over.

1878-1896 George Lawson & Sons.

1896 - A half interest in the distillery was acquired by James Ainslie & Co., blenders from Glasgow. The other half being owned by John Risk, previously of Bankier Distillery, who later rebuilt the Distillery.

1912 - James Ainslie & Co. bankrupt.

1912 - Taken over by the Clynelish Distillery Co. Ltd., jointly owned by John Risk and the Distillers Company Ltd. (DCL).

1916 - John Walker & Sons Ltd. took a share in the distillery.

1925 - John Risk was bought out and the distillery became part of Distillers Company Ltd. (DCL).

1930 - Remaining share capital bought out and distillery transferred to Scottish Malt Distillers Ltd. (SMD).

1931-1939 - Closed.

1961 - Stills became steam heated.

1967-1968 - A new Distillery was built and named Clynelish 2.

1968 - Clynelish Distillery renamed to Clynelish 1.

1969 - Closed for seven years before being refurbished. Clynelish 1 renamed to Brora, Clynelish 2 to Clynelish. Two stills. Licensed to Ainslie & Heilbron (Distillers) Ltd., Glasgow.

May 1983 - Distillery closed.

May 2021 - Distillery officially re-opened.

 

References

The Scotch Whisky Industry Record - H. Charles Craig, 1994.

wormtub.com

wikipedia.org