Braeval Distillery: One of Scotland’s Highest

Overview

Braeval is one of the highest distilleries in Scotland, at about 350 metres above sea level in the remote Braes of Glenlivet. It was built in 1973 by Chivas Brothers, then owned by Seagram, to supply malt for blends such as Chivas Regal. It was originally called Braes of Glenlivet, but was renamed to avoid confusion with The Glenlivet down the valley. It was mothballed from 2002 to 2008, and its first official single malt appeared in 2017.

Where it is

The distillery is near Chapeltown, at the head of the Braes of Glenlivet, at the end of a long road from the B9008. Tomintoul is about 8 miles south-west, The Glenlivet distillery about 5 miles north, and Dufftown about 15 miles. The Ladder Hills rise behind, on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park.

The full history

Smugglers’ country

The Braes of Glenlivet were once full of illicit stills. Their remoteness, peat and clear springs made them perfect for hiding whisky from the excisemen, and smugglers’ tracks led over the hills to the markets of the south. It is fitting that a modern distillery should stand here.

1973: Braes of Glenlivet

In the early 1970s, Chivas Brothers, owned by the Canadian giant Seagram, needed more malt for its fast-growing blends. It built a new distillery high in the glen in 1973 and named it Braes of Glenlivet. To avoid confusion with The Glenlivet, which Seagram also owned, the name was later changed to Braeval.

Pernod Ricard

In 2001 Pernod Ricard bought Chivas Brothers from Seagram. Braeval was mothballed in October 2002 and reopened in July 2008. The first official Braeval single malt was released in 2017. Most of its spirit still goes into Chivas blends.

How it’s made

Braeval has two wash stills and four spirit stills, with a capacity of about 4.2 million litres a year. Water for distilling comes from Preenie and Kate’s Well, and the Pitilie Burn provides cooling water. The spirit is light and floral, in the classic Glenlivet style.

Clans, Catholics & Jacobites

• The Gordons ruled the Braes. In 1594 the Earl of Huntly’s Gordons defeated a royal army under Argyll at the Battle of Glenlivet, in these hills. See Clan Gordon.
• The Grants held Strathspey to the west. See Clan Grant.
• The Scalan seminary: from 1717 to 1799, when Catholic worship was outlawed, a secret seminary trained priests in a remote farmhouse in the Braes. The restored building is a mile from the distillery and open to visitors.

Hills, churches & lochs

• The Scalan and the Chapeltown church are the area’s historic churches.
• The Ladder Hills and the Glenlivet Estate trails, including the Smugglers’ Trail.
• There are no lochs in the Braes, but the Cairngorm lochs, such as Loch Builg, lie in the hills to the south. See our lochs guide and our standing stones guide.

Tomintoul, the Lecht & Corgarff

Tomintoul, 8 miles away, was laid out in 1776 by the 4th Duke of Gordon as a planned village with a broad central square. At about 345 metres it is one of the highest villages in the Highlands. South of Tomintoul, the A939 climbs over the Lecht, one of the roads in Scotland most often closed by snow, past the Lecht ski centre. On the far side stands Corgarff Castle, a 16th-century tower house. After the 1745 rising it was turned into a barracks surrounded by a star-shaped wall. In the 1820s its redcoats were stationed there to catch whisky smugglers coming over the hills from Glenlivet. It is now cared for by Historic Environment Scotland.

Visiting

Braeval is production only, with no visitor centre or tours. The Glenlivet distillery, 5 miles north, has an excellent visitor centre.

Nearby distilleries

• The Glenlivet (about 5 miles), with tours.
• Tomintoul (about 8 miles).
• Allt-à-Bhainne (about 12 miles): another 1970s Chivas build.
• Royal Lochnagar, Deeside (about 30 miles over the Lecht).

The Speyside Whisky Trail and the whisky hub cover the region.

Sources

• Braeval distillery — Wikipedia.
• Chivas Brothers / Pernod Ricard.
• Scalan Association.