Brora Distillery: The Ghost Distillery Brought Back to Life

Overview

Brora is Scotland’s most famous “ghost distillery” brought back to life. It was built in 1819 by the Marquess of Stafford, later 1st Duke of Sutherland, at the height of the Sutherland Clearances, and was known for 150 years as Clynelish. When a new Clynelish was built next door in 1968, the old distillery was renamed Brora. From 1969 it made heavily peated whisky to cover a shortage of Islay malt. It was mothballed in 1983, and its old casks became some of the most sought-after whiskies in the world. In 2014 a 40-year-old Brora was priced at £7,000. Diageo restored it, and spirit flowed again in May 2021.

Where it is

Brora distillery is on the northern edge of the village of Brora, on the east coast of Sutherland, beside the modern Clynelish distillery. Golspie and Dunrobin Castle are about 5 miles south, Dornoch about 17 miles and Inverness about 60 miles, around 1 hour 20 minutes by the A9.

The full history

1819: the Clearances and Clynelish

Between about 1807 and 1821, the Countess of Sutherland and her husband, the Marquess of Stafford, cleared thousands of tenants from the inland straths of Sutherland to make way for sheep. Many families were moved to the coast. The Marquess built Clynelish distillery at Brora in 1819 as part of his plans for the coastal villages. It gave local farmers a legal market for their barley, though it was also a way to stamp out illicit distilling in the glens. The distillery passed to George Lawson and his sons in 1846, to James Ainslie and John Risk in 1896, and fully to the Distillers Company (DCL) in 1925.

1968–1983: Brora’s peated years

In 1967–68 DCL built a large modern distillery next door and gave it the Clynelish name. The old distillery was briefly closed, then reopened and renamed Brora. A drought on Islay had left the blenders short of smoky malt, so from 1969 Brora made heavily peated whisky, a rare Highland-made Islay style. Later it returned to a lightly peated Highland style. In the whisky slump of 1983 it was mothballed.

Ghost to legend to rebirth

Its remaining stock, especially the peated 1970s casks, became legendary among collectors. Diageo’s 2014 release of a 1972 Brora 40 Year Old at £7,000 was then its most expensive single malt. In 2017 Diageo announced it would restore Brora, along with Port Ellen. The old stillhouse was rebuilt, the original stills were refurbished, and the first new cask was filled in May 2021, 38 years after the last.

How it’s made

Brora has one wash still and one spirit still, each of 13,500 litres, refurbished from the originals. Water comes from the Clynemilton Burn, shared with Clynelish. The revived distillery aims to recreate the waxy, lightly smoky character of the old Brora.

Clans, clearances & castles

• Clan Sutherland: the Earls (later Dukes) of Sutherland ruled from Dunrobin Castle, near Golspie, the largest house in the northern Highlands. A huge statue of the 1st Duke, “the Mannie”, stands on Ben Bhraggie above Golspie and is still controversial because of the Clearances.
• The Gordons: from 1514 the earldom passed to a branch of the Gordons. See Clan Gordon.
• Clan Mackay of Strathnaver suffered some of the harshest clearances, including the burnings in Strathnaver in 1814–19.

Brochs, churches & lochs

• Carn Liath broch, by the A9 between Golspie and Brora: an Iron Age broch tower, with walls still standing several metres high. See our standing stones guide.
• Clyne Old Church and its kirkyard, just inland from Brora.
• Loch Brora, a long loch in the strath above the village, with walks and salmon fishing. See our lochs guide.
• Brora’s beaches and the coast path to Golspie.

Visiting

Brora runs exclusive, premium tours by appointment only. Book through Diageo’s website well in advance. The standard tour next door at Clynelish is the easier option.

Nearby distilleries

• Clynelish, next door, with tours.
• Dornoch (about 17 miles).
• Balblair and Glenmorangie, across the Dornoch Firth (about 25 miles).
• Old Pulteney, Wick (about 50 miles north).

The Far North Whisky Trail and the whisky hub cover the region.

Sources

• Brora distillery — Wikipedia.
• Diageo / Malts.com.
• Historic Environment Scotland (Carn Liath broch).