New distillery by Grantown to open its doors next week
The wait is finally over for the local community and whisky lovers with The Cairn Distillery by Grantown opening its doors to the public next week.
Bookings can be made online for visitors to experience the first new distillery to be built since the creation of the Cairngorms National Park.
Moray based family business, Gordon & MacPhail will officially open their new distillery – their second after Benromach in Forres – this Monday.
They first unveiled their plans for a distillery at Craggan in 2018, with planning permission granted the following year.
Ewen Mackintosh, managing director at Gordon & MacPhail, explained: “After many years of preparation, planning and construction we look forward to finally opening the doors to members of the public, and in particular the local community, who have been so supportive since the project was first announced.
“Having secured such a beautiful and awe-inspiring location overlooking the River Spey towards the Cairngorms, we wanted to create a building which complements the majesty of the environment.
“We are delighted with the result, and we look forward to sharing it with visitors from all over the world.”
The new distillery aims to build on Gordon & MacPhail’s 127-year heritage.
Slainte! Historic moment for Grantown's new distillery
Visitors can choose from a selection of immersive experiences, each culminating in a whisky tasting in The Discovery Room with floor-to-ceiling windows.
There they can taste blended malt whiskies created to give a sense of notes, flavours and aromas that will be seen in the character of single malts that will be released from The Cairn Distillery in the 2030s.
These sherry cask-matured, unpeated expressions are being released under the new CRN57 brand – the distillery sits on 57 degrees latitude from the equator), with 70cl bottlings available exclusively to those who tour the distillery.
The oldest expression in the CRN57 range, a 70-Year-Old, is presented in a stunning crystal decanter and is the oldest blended malt whisky in the world.
Food is also exclusively available to those who take a tour at The Gathering which offers tapas-style plates of Scottish produce designed as the perfect accompaniment to an experience like no other.
Reforestation projects are also underway to encourage native species and particular care has been taken to encourage the local population of rare goldeneye ducks.
Open seven days a week all year round, visitor experiences start at £25 and going up to £350, with three options available:
To book a trip to The Cairn Distillery visit: thecairndistillery.com