NEW LAND SCULPTURE MARKS REPLANTING OF ANCIENT SCOTTISH FOREST
‘FOREST FLOW’ expresses a bold and responsible future for enlightened whisky making
A flowing and shimmering new sculpture representing life, growth and transformation
emerged in the rolling foothills of the Cairngorms today as Scottish land artist Rob
Mulholland unveiled his latest creation at Fettercairn Distillery.
Created from 800 metres of 12mm round recycled stainless steel bars – 3,200 individual pieces in total, the inspiration behind the piece – FOREST FLOW – is a ground-breaking project 10 years in the making that has seen tens of thousands of oak saplings planted on the land next to the Fettercairn Distillery on the 8,500-acre Fasque Estate. This future focused project will establish a new land management vision for the next 200 years and challenge whisky making convention by providing responsibly sourced and managed local wood to mature whisky in – ultimately enabling Fettercairn distillery to craft single estate whiskies.
Set on a clear pool of pure spring water from a natural source only a few hundred yards away, ‘FOREST FLOW’ draws its inspiration from the endless cycle of growth as saplings draw water and nutrients from the ground and circulate them to create vibrant life. Looking out to the new Forest – highlighting the deep and inextricable relationship we all have with nature – this bespoke piece of art has been created to fully harmonise with its environment through the depiction of essential whisky making ingredients – water, locally grown barley and the wood for maturation. The sculpture also celebrates the unique water-cooling ring on the stills at Fettercairn, allowing only the finest vapours to rise creating the purest spirit.
“Fettercairn Distillery is embedded in the landscape. It draws its raw materials from its natural surroundings – the water, barley and the future oak forest – which are all within sight of the distillery. I wanted to capture all these elements in my sculpture. I was inspired after seeing the water flowing into the distillery from the nearby well, filling the mash tuns and pouring over the outside of the stills – a constant sense of movement and life as the water is circulated over the stills and then naturally cooled and re-circulated.
This is the same water that sustains the newly planted Fettercairn forest and nourishes the surrounding landscape, a visceral connection between the land and the distillery. I wanted to capture this life-giving flow in my sculpture and convey the close relationship that the whole whisky process has with the natural environment. I imagined the water flowing over the still, instantly solidifying into metal to create an organic sculptural form as it emerges from a pool of crystal clear water, as if some unseen alchemical process had transformed the flowing water into solid steel. On the outer edges a scattering of oak leaves form in a circle symbolising the newly planted Fettercairn forest.
The reflective clear pool captures the mirror image of the sculpture and simultaneously captures the reflection of the sky and changing light as time passes by. Time is a key element in creating whisky and in creating sculpture, a synergy of craft that permeates both practices. I hope that my work conveys both crafts and harnesses our respect for the setting and natural environment at Fettercairn,” said Glaswegian sculptor Rob Mulholland.
Stewart Walker, Distillery Manager at Fettercairn said: “We love the idea that Rob’s stunning work will keep watch over the mighty oaks in our sustainable forest 150 -200 years from now. We are extremely proud when we look at Rob’s artistic endeavours – the sculpture has movement, texture and its shadows and reflections are constantly changing. It feels totally in keeping with its environment and for our whisky making philosophy. We are confident it will become iconic on our regional landscape – loved by visitors and the local community alike.”
The Fettercairn Forest project is led by whisky maker Gregg Glass, who has conducted numerous trials with wind-felled and responsibly sourced Scottish oak as well as extensive tests and experimentation in collaboration with experts across different industries. The Distillery has already laid down whiskies in different types of Scottish Oak cask and plans to release the first commercially available Fettercairn Scottish Oak bottling next year. The sculpture is due to be incorporated into the Distillery visitor experience from 2022.
www.fettercairnwhisky.com
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About Fettercairn
Our founder, Sir Alexander Ramsay, was one of the Scottish landowners who campaigned for the licensing of Scotch Whisky distilling. In 1824 Fettercairn he established the Fettercairn Distillery, in the Northeast of Scotland; it was to become one of the first licensed single malt distilleries. Despite his campaigns for regulation, Ramsay recruited illicit whisky makers as his first stillmen, knowing only they had the knowledge and experience required to make great whisky. From our very beginnings, we’ve been doing things a little differently in the pursuit of great whisky.
In the mid-1950s, the whisky makers at Fettercairn experimented, seeking ways to create a purer expression of their spirit. They found that pouring water down the still cooled the copper, increasing condensation inside so only the lightest vapours could rise for collection. They fashioned a copper tube around the top of the still to continually douse it with crystal clear mountain water. This simple yet ingenious engineering feat not only creates a purer expression of our whisky, but beautiful oxidized patina of the copper with shades of teal, brushed cooper and white proudly marking our stills. To this day our copper cooling ring remains unique in Scotch whisky making.
Today the Fettercairn Distillery continues this trend of ingenious thinking and is the home of enlightened whisky making, where experimental and considered, open minded innovation provides inspiration in the creation of the most exceptional and rare single malt whiskies. Driven by the idea of entire craft, there is an inherent commitment to the land and the idea of nurturing and embracing every single part of the process, from forest to field to Fettercairn.
As part of this philosophy, we are always discovering and learning and we use this to feed our imagination and passion to create distinct whiskies with a surprising tropical character.
About Rob Mulholland
Rob Mulholland is a sculptor and environmental artist based in Drymen, Scotland who exhibits throughout the U.K and world-wide. His practise explores the complex relationship between humans and the natural world. Utilizing a wide variety of forms and materials his sculpture installations interact with their surroundings. He incorporates mirrored surfaces in his sculptures to reflect the given environment and alter the viewer’s perception of the space. The reflection is purposely distorted, inviting the viewer to question their individual relationship with their surroundings.
This nexus between people and the natural world is further developed in recent works such as One Flock which illuminates this symbiotic relationship. He is interested in elements of deconstruction and has interpreted this with sculptures such as Skytower and Evolve in which kinetic forces appear to have torn through and re-shaped the sculptural forms. These sculptures push the boundaries of physical structural engineering allowing him to explore and develop his practise further. His work is both gallery based and sited in public spaces.
https://robmulholland.org/
https://www.instagram.com/robmulhollandartist/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/RobMulhollandArt/
The third in the Chronicles series offers a slightly closed nose that soon shows high esters, cinnamon, and eggnog, while hints of mint hide among old dry barn boards in a gorgeous, creamy palate. Mild caramels fade into peppery heat, restrained grassy herbs, and pulling tannins. Burley tobacco leaves replace Canadian Club’s signature dark fruits. Finishes long, hot, and vaguely dry. (DK, Winter 2020) 
