A new, community owned distillery on the edge of the Speyside region has recently received £140,000 in additional funding to help kickstart the distillery and regenerate the local area.
Cabrach Distillery has been founded by The Cabrach Trust, a community interest company established to preserve the history and heritage of the remote Carbrach community. The distillery is the group’s first major initiative in reviving the area.
The Cabrach has experienced significant population loss over the past two centuries. Once a thriving home to the illicit whisky industry boasting a population over 1,000, the area now has less than 100 inhabitants.
It is hoped that the new distillery will bring some prosperity to the community by providing a dozen skilled jobs and attracting tourists to the area. As well as the distillery itself, the site will also house a cafe and a heritage centre telling the story of whisky production in the area. Income generated by the distillery will be reinvested in the wider regeneration plans for the locale.
It’s little surprise that The Cabrach Trust turned to distilling to help their cause; the charity was founded by Grant Gordon of the William Grants distilling dynasty.
The funding comes from Social Investment Scotland - a social enterprise and charity supporting local community groups - and is comprised of a loan and a grant. The investment will be used to help cover the costs of the distilleries early operations, such as production and performance monitoring.
This latest financial boost follows £500,000 investment from the Highlands and Islands Enterprise earlier this year, the funds of which were used to aide the distillery’s construction.
Speaking on the funding and the distillery, chief executive of The Cabrach Trust Jonathan Christie said: “our distillery will serve as the economic lungs of our community-led regeneration vision, creating much-needed permanent, skilled employment whilst attracting thousands of visitors to this special place, who will be able to discover the area’s rich history, heritage, and natural beauty.
“The support of likeminded partners such as Social Investment Scotland is invaluable. This is a bold idea, a unique social enterprise, being made possible through the sustained support of the Cabrach community, alongside an exciting blend of funding partners.”
In terms of whisky, The Cabrach promises to produce a small batch, traditional Scotch reminiscent of the spirit made in the early 1800s. To achieve this, they will utilise locally sourced, lightly smoked barley and distill with particularly small stills. The distillery will also use lesser-seen techniques and equipment, such as direct fired stills and worm tub condensers.
Before producing their own single malt, the Carbrach team have been at work crafting their own blended malt. The Feering Early Harvest is the first of three planned blends using whiskies from neighbouring distilleries. All profits from The Feering will go towards funding The Cabrach Trust’s projects, including the distillery.
Many distilleries make a big deal of their home and the local community. And rightly so! It feels as if every square mile of Scotland could lay claim to distilling heritage in some form or another.
However, The Cabrach seem are almost singular in their community-centric approach. The desire to regenerate their community came long before the plans for a distillery were drawn up. It’s a noble endeavour and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for the upstart Speysider.
