The Macallan distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Craigellachie, Moray, Scotland. The Macallan Distillers Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Edrington Group, which purchased the brand from Highland Distillers in 1999.
The Macallan is a premium quality whisky, they insist upon the exclusive use of the traditional “Golden Promise” barley, and the maturing of the whisky in specially procured Sherry casks. Depending on the time of year, the access road to the distillery will be surrounded by fields of Golden Promise Barley.
The Edrington Group, which owns the Macallan distillery, have taken the bold move to revamp the distillery and visitor centre so it is now the most modern and high technology looking distillery in Scotland. Where there were once large “sheds” for the mash tuns and still rooms, there are now cleverly landscaped semi-subterranean buildings that blend the distillery into the green fields of the landscape. The building is a stunning piece of modern architecture that combines functionality with organic shapes and materials. We’ve deliberately kept some pictures of the old distillery buildings in the gallery so you can see just how radically different the new distillery buildings are.
Some might find the modernity of the distillery controversial in an industry so steeped in tradition, but it makes sense to us. The original distillery buildings were never going to have quite the same picturesque old world charm of a distillery such as nearby Strathisla. So the architects took the right decision to capitalise on the attractive rural setting of the distillery by blending it tastefully into the open farmland above the River Spey.