Tormore Distillery

Architecturally one of the youngest yet most aesthetically striking distilleries in Scotland

Overview

Tormore Distillery was erected in 1958 during the boom years of the Scotch Whisky industry. It was the first completely new malt Distillery to be built in the Highlands in the 20th Century and was evidently intended as a showpiece. It was originally built by Long John Distillers and designed by Sir Albert Richardson. Despite its young age, this distillery is already a listed building. For this reason, it is not allowed to change anything to its external appearance.

Architecturally it is the most elegant of malt Distilleries with its ornamental curling lake and fountains, decorative dormer windows, belfry and musical clock, the topiary and the huge hill of dense firs forming an impressive backdrop. One of the architectural particularities is the clock which bells each quarter of an hour, the copper rotors and the granite used for the building.

The garden is remarkable too, with its hedges in the shape of a bell or a still. The houses of the workers are build in the same style.

Long John has been absorbed by Whitbread & Co in 1975, and the distillery has been acquired in the same year by Allied Distillers Ltd. The Tormore distillery is under control of Pernod-Ricard since the French Company purchased the activities of Allied Domecq in 2005.