It was last used when whisky was measured in hogsheads and production of the water of life was moving from an often-illicit farmyard enterprise to a thriving national business.
Now the secrets of whisky production from 200 years ago are being uncovered by archaeologists probing the remains of a distillery which ceased production in 1824.
Fire pits which would once have heated copper stills, tasting glasses, bottles and the timber-lined vats which held gallons of the amber nectar have all been unearthed at the National Trust dig on the old site of the Glenlivet distillery.
During the past two weeks the archaeology team investigated the site of the former distillery on Speyside where The Glenlivet’s founder, George Smith, risked life and liberty to become the first legal whisky distiller in the area, producing his single malt whisky legally in a landscape of illicit distilling in 1824.
Discoveries included three fire pits that would have been used for the copper stills, timber lined vats and receivers.
Some of the artefacts uncovered
What would have been whisky tasting glasses were also discovered, meaning archaeologists could see the full whisky making process.
They estimate a site this size could have been producing around six hogsheads of whisky per week which is equal to 1,530 litres.
Fire pits and glassware
The site was found to be incredibly well preserved, despite the fact it would have been dismantled when the distillery was moved to its current location down the hill.
The team also discovered a range of other finds, including a George III silver shilling dating from around 1816 – 20, just before the 1823 Excise Act came into force.
The work was carried out as part of the Pioneering Spirit project - a partnership between the National Trust for Scotland and The Glenlivet, which began in 2020.
National Trust for Scotland Head of Archaeology, Derek Alexander said: “Despite the site having been intentionally dismantled when the distillery was relocated in 1859, we have been surprised by the level of preservation of some of its structural elements.
“It is still possible to trace the main activities within the still house and there were even some wooden elements surviving that must be around 200 years old.
“The old site at The Glenlivet forms a really nice crossover between the small-scale illicit whisky bothies hidden in the hills, through the medium-scale, farm-based level of production, to the large-scale factory facility, that characterises the Scottish whisky-making industry today.”
Mr Alexander added: “You can see where it has developed from farm to distillery and how it has expanded over time in order to increase output.
“We can see many elements of the legalised whisky production process here and many of the artefacts also provide an insight into the lives of the staff who lived and worked there.
“It’s a privilege to be allowed to work on this site, and with such a dedicated group of volunteers, with guidance from whisky industry experts.”
Newly appointed Chivas Brothers archivist, Robert Athol said: “I volunteered on the dig site this summer and it’s incredibly exciting collaborating with National Trust for Scotland as we continue to learn more about The Glenlivet’s history.
“Archaeological evidence found at the dig fills in the gaps we have in the documentary history where records have not survived or were not created”.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here