Brora

In 1967 work began on a larger distillery next door, and it took the Clynelish name.^2,9 The old site closed in May 1968, restarted that December, and became Brora.^2,4,5,9 So a Clynelish distilled before mid-1968 came from the stills now called Brora.⁹

The Sutherland estate built it near Clynelish farm for £750.^1,2,3 It gave tenant farmers a buyer for their barley.^1,2,3

In 1896 the blenders James Ainslie & Co. and John Risk bought it and enlarged it.^1,4 The Distillers Company joined John Risk in 1912 and took full control in 1925.^4,10 It closed in March 1931, restarted in September 1938, and was shut again from 1941 to 1945.^2,10 In 1961 its stills switched from direct coal fires to steam.^2,9

A drought on Islay in 1968 left blenders short of smoky malt, so the old site restarted to make it.⁹ Brora made heavily peated malt from 1969 to 1973.^4,11 It closed in March 1983, the same year as Port Ellen.^2,4,6

In March 1984 the old buildings were listed as Category B.¹ Guinness bought the Distillers Company in 1986, and Diageo was formed in 1997.^12,13

In October 2017 Diageo announced £35 million to bring back Brora and Port Ellen.^4,6 The stillhouse was rebuilt stone by stone, and the original pair of stills was refurbished.^7,8 On 19 May 2021 it filled its first cask in 38 years.^7,8

Its water comes from a weir on the Clynemilton Burn.¹¹

Sources

1. 1Clynelish Brora Distillery (LB578)Historic Environment Scotland
2. 2Brora Distillery (the original Clynelish): historyDifford's Guide
3. 3The Magical History of the Great Brora Distillery, part 2Whiskyfun
4. 4Brora distilleryWikipedia
5. 5The Magical History of the Great Brora Distillery, part 9