Multi-million-pound investment set to reignite the spirit of the Cabrach
£3.5mn secured for distillery and heritage centre
Community, culture, and sustainability at heart of plan
Boost for skills development and employment
Ambitious plans to breathe new life into one of the UK’s most rural communities – famed for its role in the birth of malt whisky – have taken a significant step forward with the announcement of multi-million-pound funding to deliver The Cabrach Distillery and Heritage Centre; a project which will showcase the craft and alchemy of making Scotland’s national drink while telling the story of the historic region.
The Cabrach, a remote, upland area in the North East of Scotland, was a once thriving community of over 1,000 residents and a legendary haunt of rebellious Jacobites, illicit distillers and smugglers. However, the devastation wrought by the Great Wars began a spiral of depopulation and decline. Today fewer than 100 people call the Cabrach home.
Moves to regenerate the area as a sustainable community have been driven by The Cabrach Trust, who today confirmed it has secured the £3.5million needed to activate this eagerly anticipated project which will be delivered in harmony with the natural environment of the Cabrach.
Grant Gordon OBE, Founder and Chairman of The Cabrach Trust, said: “Our vision is to regenerate the Cabrach as a thriving, sustainable community. Having secured funding for this project represents a critical milestone for the Trust and we look forward to embarking on this exciting next chapter in the Cabrach’s story.”
A 19th-century steading at the Trust’s Inverharroch base will be restored to its former glory through a sympathetic restoration programme while sustainability will be at the heart of the transformation, incorporating an innovative renewable energy source.
This project represents the cornerstone of the Trust’s transformational regeneration masterplan for the Cabrach, which will not only bring about much-needed skilled, permanent employment to the area, but attract thousands of visitors every year, placing the natural beauty and unparalleled history of the area centre stage.
The Ethos Foundation, a principal funder of The Cabrach Trust, has pledged its support to the project, alongside capital grants from the William Grant Foundation and the Vattenfall Clashindarroch Wind Farm Community Fund. Forsyths, one of the world leaders in the supply of distillation equipment and based in nearby Rothes, are also contributing considerably. Of important note, the Bently Foundation awarded a significant grant to the project in 2021.
With an award-winning design team appointed, led by Collective Architecture, funding secured, and planning approval in place, enabling works on site are expected to get underway in February 2022, with the aim of being operational by Spring 2023.
Jonathan Christie, Chief Executive of The Cabrach Trust, commented: “With the build commencing early in the New Year, we look forward to sharing progress as our one-of-a-kind social enterprise unfolds, whilst launching several other exciting projects all poised to go live in 2022.
“We are humbled by the support provided by the Ethos Foundation, Bently Foundation and our other core funders. It is a privilege to work with and alongside such an array of incredible peer, community, and funding partners. The Cabrach Distillery and Heritage Centre is central to our regeneration plans and the long-term sustainability of this important community.”
Additional Comments
Richard Lochhead MSP: “The Cabrach is a unique community with an incredibly rich heritage. The Trust’s ambitious regeneration plans promise to open a new chapter in its story. It is widely believed that the Cabrach is the birthplace of Scotch whisky and plans for a new distillery and heritage centre are not only fitting but also hugely exciting. This project will undoubtedly put the Cabrach on the map and I’m delighted this funding has been secured.”
Douglas Ross MP: “This is fantastic news for the area. As well as adding to the local economy, and hopefully attracting further investment, this project will create much needed job opportunities and support more young people to live and work in the area. The Trust’s vision to regenerate this rural community is very welcome, supporting a sustainable future for the Cabrach. I am very much looking forward to watching these plans progress and offer my support for this great project.”
Nick Addington, Chief Executive of the William Grant Foundation: “The William Grant Foundation is delighted to be supporting The Cabrach Trust’s innovative and entrepreneurial redevelopment of Inverharroch as a social enterprise Distillery and Heritage Centre. The new community-owned facility will celebrate and showcase the contribution of this special place and the people who lived there, to Speyside and Scotland’s whisky heritage, and contribute to its sustainable future.”
The Cabrach Trust
The Cabrach Trust was formed in 2011 and is a registered charity (Charity No. SCO43771). The Trust’s vision is to regenerate the Cabrach as a thriving, sustainable community with its history, heritage and place in Scottish history celebrated and shared by all. It was set up in response to the need to preserve the cultural heritage of The Cabrach and safeguard its remote community.
In 2013, through its generous donors, the Trust acquired the historic Inverharroch Farm and its 170 acres of land and through community asset transfer acquired the Old School and Hall and the Acorn Community Centre. The Trust has developed a community-led regeneration masterplan that will see the development of projects such as a Historic Distillery and a new Heritage Centre on the Trust’s land.
Following a meticulous programme of restoration, The Cabrach Distillery and Heritage Centre will be housed within the Inverharroch Farm steadings. The distillery and traditional dunnage warehouse will occupy two wings of the steading, with the additional two wings allocated for the heritage centre, community bistro, tasting room, and visitor reception. Operated as a social enterprise, our distillery will have at its roots historic methods which reflect the manufacture and production of Malt Whisky from the 1800s when “real Cabrach whisky” was widely acclaimed. Following ageing and maturation, the bottled product will eventually be available for sale, generating profits as part of the Trust’s long-term sustainability plan.
The Trust aims to provide economic and social development opportunities for the Cabrach, creating jobs and attracting new visitors to the area to celebrate and protect the cultural heritage, beautiful landscape, and history of the Cabrach.
The Trust is steered by a committed Board of Trustees working alongside a small, dedicated, and knowledgeable staff team.
Funders
The Ethos Foundation was established in 2016 (registered charity no. 1166697) and is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The Foundation’s giving is informed by a multi-generational family commitment to philanthropy, centred on a mission to support local communities and UK society in general.
Founded and supported by San Francisco Bay Area entrepreneur Christopher Bently with founding Director Camille Bently, Bently Foundation strives to support organizations worldwide in the areas of the environment, the arts and animal welfare. For more information please visit: www.bentlyfoundation.org
Forsyths Ltd is the fabrication arm of the Forsyth Group based in the North East of Scotland. Their work in the alcoholic beverage industry varies from the supply of distillation equipment only to turnkey distillery design and build, plant upgrade or expansion projects.
The William Grant Foundation is a non-profit association established to support charitable causes, principally in Scotland. It has been set up by William Grant & Sons Ltd to manage and direct the company’s charitable giving. Visit their webpage at www.williamgrantfoundation.org.uk from where you can download their latest annual review.
For more information about Vattenfall Clashindaroch Wind Farm Community Fund, visit HERE:
For further information, interviews and images, please contact Alex Schweitzer-Thompson at alex@thisistailormade.com
Dickel’s now-annual return to bottled in bond, this one following the release of an 11 year old last year and a 13 year old in 2019, which became our Whisky of the Year. Roasted peanuts, marzipan, sweet corn, and bakery shop, with water unlocking cherries, jelly donut, raspberry jam, blueberry pie, fresh grains, and melted caramel. Mouth-coating overall, with a delicate finish that ends with a savory back note of wild herbs. (DF, Fall 2021) 
