Ballechin    

 

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Ballechin Distillery is near the A827 between Aberfeldy and Pitlochry. It is one of fifteen distilleries which were once operating in the Pitlochry region. Originally built by a group of farmers it changed hands several times. There were seven farm distilleries producing malt in Perthshire. The distillery operated between 1810 and 1927.

In 2002 the only remaining Pertshire farm distillery Edradour, near Pitlochry, produced a peated single malt which was called Ballechin.


Alfred Barnard when travelling to the Scottish distilleries between 1885 to 1887 reported:


„The Ballechin Distillery was founded in the year 1810, by a company of farmers who resided in the immediate neighbourhood, and grew all the barley used in the works. In the year 1875 it came into the hands of the present proprietors, Messrs. Robertson and Sons, who succeeded the late Mr. Robert Kennedy, the only survivor of the original company. The Distillery, which is a quaint, old-fashioned place, covers 11 acres. It is built on the slope of a hill, in the farm of the letter L, and is situated on the high road, three miles from the railway station.

As we entered the Barley Barn, we noticed on our right a roadway up the side of the hill to the barn doors, and were informed that the barley is carted by this approach and laid direct on to the floor. The building is 70 feet long and 50 wide, and holds 300 quarters of grain. Underneath is the Malting Floor, of same dimensions, having at one end a large stone steep, and at the other a kiln. The barley is dropped into the steep through sluices in the floor, and after being soaked therein for 48 hours, the wetted barley is spread out to grow on the concreted floor of the malting. As soon as the acrospire, or sprouts, are sufficiently advanced the malt is wheeled on to the Kiln, an apartment 20 feet square, with an open roof, and floored with wire netting. It is heated principally with peat, and is capable of drying 20 quarters at a time. Continuing our journey down hill, we come to the Malt Deposit, a room somewhat larger than the Kiln, which contains a Hopper, through which the dried malt is dropped into the Mill below. The building appropriated to the Mill is very antiquated, and contains a pair of Malt Rollers. From this apartment the material begins to ascend, and the grist, or pulverized malt, is gent by elevators to the Hopper in the Grist Loft, which is above the Mash Tun.

At a somewhat lower level are two heaters for hot water. Our guide next conducted us to the Mash House, which is on the ground level, and opens into the yard. It is a large place, and contains several vessels, notably the Mash Tun, a circular iron vessel, 11 feet in diameter, and 4 feet deep. The mixing machine in this tun is the invention of Mr. A. Robertson, one of the partners, and consists of a double set of teeth racks, irregularly placed, but fitting into each other, one stationary, and the other revolving, which thoroughly mixes and breaks up the malt in the tun. At one side, just above the top of the Mash Tun, a trap-door has been let into the wall, and through this opening the grains are thrown direct into the farmers' carts.

Below the level of the floor is sunk the Underback, an iron vessel 6 feet square and 4 feet deep, which receives the liquor from the Mash Tun. the worts are pumped from this vessel to the Coolers in the roof, which are of the oldest fashioned pattern we have seen. These Coolers are 24 feet square, having in the centre an enclosed cylinder for accumulating the air and driving it over the surface of the worts, which was also invented by Mr. A. Robertson. Mr. Reid now led the war to the Tun Room, which adjoins the Mash House, and contains five Washbacks, each holding 1,800 gallons. After fermentation has taken place, the wash is gent by a single-action pump up to the Wash Charger, which is erected on a gallery over the Still House, and contains 1,800 gallons, and the wash descends there from by gravitation into the Wash Still.

We now retraced our steps to the Brewing House, at the end of which are placed two antiquated Pot Stills, a Wash Still, holding 753 gallons, and a Low Wines and Feints Still, holding 660 gallons. The Worm Tub is the most ancient we have seen, a regular smuggler's worm, laid in a vessel red from the overflow of the hum. The spirit from the Wash Still, after running through this apparatus, goes into the Low Wines and Feints Receiver which is a timber vessel, and holds 827 gallons, from whence it is pumped up into the Low Wines and Feints Charger. From this Charger the spirit runs by gravitation into the Low Wines and Feints Still, again through the Worm Tub into the Spirit Receiver, which contains 816 gallons, and finally into a vat holding 750 gallons, placed in the Spirit Store, where it is casked, weighed, branded, and rolled into the bonded warehouses.“ (Alfred Barnard. The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom. London, 1887.)


The distillery was closed in 1927. Only some buildings still remain.


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