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<\/a><\/p>\nPhotos \u00a9 Susie Lowe<\/p>\n
The Cabrach Distillery, Scotland<\/p>\n
The Cabrach, a community located on the high boundary between West Aberdeenshire and Speyside, at the heart of Historic Banffshire, is celebrating the opening of a new heritage-led farm distillery. Designed by Scottish practice Collective Architecture, the opening of The Cabrach Distillery closes the first chapter in what is a long-term, transformational masterplan focused on regenerating the community after decades of decline.<\/p>\n
In 2013 a group of passionate local residents banded together to create The Cabrach Trust; a charity committed to preserving the cultural heritage of The Cabrach whilst driving forward a oneof-a-kind community regeneration initiative. Across recent years, the Trust has progressed a portfolio of projects including cultural events, nature recovery initiatives, rural skills and wellbeing workshops, and learning opportunities for children and young people, with the distillery positioned as the economic lungs of the Trust\u2019s vision, breathing new life into the area whilst celebrating The Cabrach\u2019s unparalleled whisky making heritage.<\/p>\n Looking back, in the 18th century The Cabrach, situated on the northeastern edge of what is now the Cairngorms National Park, was a thriving community \u2013 and a hotbed of Jacobite rebels and smugglers. Local farmers, keen to supplement their meagre earnings from agriculture and raising cattle, would produce whisky \u2013 known as the \u2018water of life\u2019, or \u2018Uisge Beatha\u2019 in Scottish Gaelic \u2013 in stills hidden away in nearby fields.<\/p>\n But in the early 19th century lawmakers in London and Edinburgh clamped down on this activity, rooting out illegal stills and heavily taxing those distillers who were permitted to produce whisky legally.<\/p>\n These sweeping restrictions, combined with the effects of poor harvests, ongoing rural decline, two World Wars and the lure of work elsewhere, resulted in The Cabrach becoming increasingly de-peopled and depleted. Once home to more than 1,000 people, The Cabrach\u2019s population has dwindled to less than 100 today.<\/p>\n Thanks to generous donors, The Cabrach Trust was able to acquire the historic Inverharroch Farm, along with 170 acres of land. The old stone steadings at Inverharroch, dating back to 1849,have subsequently been transformed into The Cabrach Distillery by Collective Architecture, creating a unique social enterprise now owned and operated by the community. This project has created much-needed, skilled, permanent employment in The Cabrach, whilst attracting 1000s of visitors to the area. Of important note, all future revenues from the distillery will be reinvested into community for decades to come.<\/p>\n The design is sympathetic to The Cabrach\u2019s fragile environment, featuring latent heat recoveryand green input energy to assure a low carbon footprint, whilst complimenting the development with significant tree planting and the creation of community wellbeing nature trails. Upon realising that the existing, deteriorating roof structure could not be salvaged, Collective The construction was very challenging due to the age of the steadings. Leaning gables required to be rebuilt and some unsympathetic interventions, made during its recent life as a sheep farm, required reversing. To allow the stills to sit at ground level, recessed concrete trenches and bunds were installed to catch any spillages and contain flammable liquids. Their installation risked undermining the existing walls, exacerbated by the discovery of a seam of sand below ground, requiring much of the southeast wall to be painstakingly dismantled and rebuilt. The steading walls were finished by repointing with a lime-based mortar that closely matched the authentic, original mix used in the Cabrach. The windows and doors are painted with one of the Cabrach Whisky brand colours, maintaining a tradition of the Speyside distilleries.<\/p>\n All materials to refurbish and rebuild the farm buildings have been sourced locally, including sustainable timber from nearby forests, and reclaimed stone from existing ruined buildings close to the site.<\/p>\n Collective Architecture has also delivered a maturation warehouse and a new access road, while leading design activity focused on the second phase of the project which will deliver both a heritage centre and caf\u00e9 bistro for the benefit of the community, but also to cement The Cabrach Distillery\u2019s visitor destination credentials. The project is already attracting thousands of visitors \u2013 local and international alike \u2013 engaging people in the history and heritage of this once famed but somewhat forgotten Scottish glen. Future profits with purpose will be channelled into regeneration projects in The Cabrach, ranging from affordable, accessible housing, to nature recovery endeavours.<\/p>\n Jonathan Christie, Chief Executive, The Cabrach Trust, said: \u201cThe idea of a Single Malt Scotch Whisky distillery, operated as a social enterprise, housed within a once ruinous historic steading, anchoring the regeneration of a proud rural community, is an idea that\u2019s easy to get misty eyed about. However, the distance between idea and reality can be significant, only overcome \u2013 in our experience \u2013 through the belief and collaborative support of likeminded people.<\/p>\n Beyond the incredible funding and community support The Cabrach Distillery has enjoyed, we found a likeminded partner in Collective Architecture. A practice that got the vision, combining care with technical rigour, whilst onboarding the broader design team and skilled contractors which took our idea to fruition.\u201d<\/p>\n Ewan Imrie, Director, Collective Architecture, said: \u201cAs a practice deeply committed to supporting communities in shaping their own futures, this project, rooted in local heritage, has been both inspiring and rewarding. Working in such a breathtaking and remote setting has made the journey even more special. It\u2019s our first distillery project, and we\u2019re excited to see how this, and other projects initiated by The Cabrach Trust, will support a new, thriving, rural community within The Cabrach.\u201d<\/p>\n Architects: Collective Architecture \u2013 https:\/\/www.collectivearchitecture.co.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n Photography \u00a9 Susie Lowe Location: Speyside, Scotland<\/a><\/p>\n Lighting of the New Macallan Distillery Previously on e-architect \u2013 project inception info:<\/p>\n Macallan Distillery in Moray<\/a><\/p>\n Rogers Stirk Harbour Partners<\/a><\/p>\n Location: Speyside, northern Scotland<\/a><\/p>\n Scottish Whisky Production Buildings<\/p>\n Another Scottish Whisky Distillery Building on e-architect:<\/p>\n Dalmore Whisky Distillery, Alness, Ross-Shire, northern Scotland Another Scottish Whisky Building on e-architect:<\/p>\n Glenmorangie Bottling Plant, Livingston, West Lothian, central Scotland Architecture in Scotland<\/p>\n Scottish Architecture Designs<\/a> \u2013 chronological list<\/p>\n Scottish Architecture<\/a><\/p>\n Scottish Building News<\/a><\/p>\n Cairngorms National Park Authority HQ Building<\/a> Contemporary Property in Cairngorms National Park<\/a> Kilmartin Museum Building<\/a> Richard Rogers<\/a><\/p>\n Inverness Buildings<\/a><\/p>\n Scottish Architect<\/a> \u2013 design studio listings on e-architect<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
Architecture proposed elevating the distillery roof atop a glazed clerestory. A skeletal timber structure rests on the old stone walls to provide extra height and valuable working area along with an airiness within which to appreciate the beauty of the copper stills and to diffuse the space with the dramatic light of northeast Scotland. The exposed timber and plywood structure echoes, in physical form, the simple raw components of whisky, prior to their remarkable transformation, and is intended to be a sympathetic, but modern, intervention reflecting the new chapter dawning in the Cabrach.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n
The Cabrach Distillery in Speyside, Scotland images \/ information received 101225<\/p>\n<\/a>
photo \u00a9 Speirs + Major
New Macallan Distillery Building Lighting<\/a>
Speirs + Major have unveiled their lighting design for The Macallan new distillery and visitor experience on the Easter Elchies estate, Speyside, Northeast Scotland.<\/p>\n
Dalmore Whisky Distillery<\/a><\/p>\n
Glenmorangie Whisky Bottling Plant<\/a><\/p>\n
Design: Moxon Architects<\/a>
image courtesy of architects studio<\/p>\n
Architects: Brown + Brown<\/a>
image : Touch 3D<\/p>\n<\/a>
image courtesy of HLF<\/p>\n