But there is nothing new about people visiting Aberlour Distillery. Here is a fascinating (and detailed) account by one visitor in 1887.
Aberlour Distillery still welcomes guests on its Warehouse 1 and Founders tours. If you are planning a visit to Speyside a visit to this world renowned distillery is a must, and where better to stay than Norlaggan - Aberlour's only Visit Scotland Quality Assured Bed and Breakfast (to book online go to www.norlaggan.co.uk or telephone +44 (0)1340 871270
You can read Barnard's reports on all the distilleries he visited (all 131 of them) at http://bit.ly/KhxPT7
.............................................................................................................................................
From ’The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom’
by Alfred Barnard, 1887
WE left Elgin by the night train for Keith, where we found excellent quarters at the Gordon Arms, one of those rare old-fashioned hostelries, which are fast passing away.
Mr. Barclay, the jolly landlord, received us on our arrival, and made us exceedingly comfortable, during our fortnight’s sojourn at his house.
The next morning we again entered the train, this time bound for beautiful Craigellachie.
From Keith the track strikes off abruptly to the left, alongside the river Isla, into a picturesque country of woods and stream, where the undulations of the ground have necessitated short tunnels and deep cuttings. We had here at intervals such pictures of rocky ridges, wooded plantations, miniature waterfalls, river and mountain, that it all seemed like magic, and when we finally emerged from the last intersection, suddenly found ourselves at our destination.
Craigellachie is a good hiring station, and it is well for travellers to know this, otherwise they may have to retrace their steps for many a long mile before they can procure a horse and vehicle; so few of these railway stations in the Highlands possess hiring accommodation.
On our arrival we secured a stout horse and trap from Charlie Stuart, the proprietor of the hiring establishment, who personally coached us to Aberlour. It was a lovely day, and we started off in high spirits. After passing through the village of Craigellachie, we came in sight of the magnificent iron bridge, which crosses the Spey, near its junction with the Fiddich River. The bridge springs from a rock on the western side of the Spey, and is of 100 feet span.
The road of access to the bridge is most picturesque, being cut out of the face of the solid rock, amid scattered firs of the impending mountain. For two miles the course of the river is very beautiful, and in some parts the road overhangs the boiling stream. We were quite sorry to diverge from this path, but we had come to our journey’s end, for on our left, hidden among the trees, lay the Distillery, the object of our visit.
Aberlour is a charming village, at the root of Benrinnes. This grand mountain is 2,765 feet above the level of the sea, and from its summit ten counties, from Caithness to Perth, are visible. On the east shoulder there is a spring, which develops into a small pond, and near it, we were shown a cave which James an Tuam, or James of the Hill, a noted freebooter, made one of his coverts. The water from this receptacle runs down the mountain side, and, before reaching Aberlour, forms a beautiful cascade, called the Lynn of Ruthrie. It has a fall of 30 feet, broken in its descent by a projecting rock, and is received into a gloomy pool below. Above the fall the rocks are covered with trees, which reverberate the sound of the water, and greatly contribute to the interest of the scene. The Burn from the pool is now called the Lour, and runs rapidly to the Spey. The Spey is, in volume of water and extent of basin drained by it, the second river in Scotland. It rises in Badenoch, about six miles from Loch Laggan, and flows for about 100 miles. After flowing for about a mile from the source it expands into Loch Spey, after leaving which it flows eastward to the sea, receiving in its progress the Marky, the Calder, and a number of smaller streams. It takes rank, as a salmon river, next to the Tay and the Tweed.
The Aberlour-Glenlivet Distillery, distant about a quarter of a mile below the waterfall,
is built on the banks of the Lour, about 300 yards from its confluence with the noble river Spey, which here rushes northwards to the Moray Firth, and a like distance from the Aberlour Station of the Great North of Scotland Railway.
The work, a perfect model Distillery, was rebuilt in the year 1880, and covers two acres of ground. It consists of a triangular block of stone buildings, of neat appearance, and conveniently arranged for the various processes of distillation
.
Our guide, Mr. R. Gauld, the Brewer, first took us to the Malt Barn, a handsome building,
121 feet long and 40 feet deep, at the end which are two concrete Steeps, capable of wetting 70 quarters of Barley at one time.
Ascending a stone stair we came to two Grain Lofts, one above the other, capable of holding together 3,000 quarters of barley. At the angle of this building is the Kiln, measuring 25 feet square and floored with wire cloth. It is heated by peat in open chauffeurs. A doorway from the floor of this building lead us down 10 feet to the Malt Deposit, below which, at a depth of 13 feet, is the Mill Room, containing a pair of Malt Rollers, driven by water. This apartment is 30 feet square and 13 feet high. The malt is passed to the Mill through a hatch in the floor, to a hopper over the cylinders, which pulverize the malt. After being ground, the grist passes into another hopper over the Mash Tun in the room below.
