Knockdhu Distillery (anCnoc), Aberdeenshire: Modern Malt, Old-Fashioned Craft

Overview

Knockdhu makes the single malt sold as anCnoc, Gaelic for “the hill”. It is a small, traditional distillery at the foot of Knock Hill, in the farmland of north-west Aberdeenshire between Huntly and Banff. It has two claims to fame. It was the first malt distillery built by the Distillers Company, in 1893–94, and it is the reason anCnoc has a Gaelic name: in 1994 the whisky was renamed to avoid confusion with Speyside’s Knockando. Its style is clean, fresh and fruity, with a range of peated whiskies alongside.

Where it is

The distillery is at Knock, a hamlet on the B9022 between Huntly (about 9 miles south) and Banff (about 15 miles north). Keith is about 9 miles west and Aberdeen about 45 miles south-east. The old Banff branch railway, which once ran past the gate, was one of the reasons the distillery was built here.

The full history

1893: the Distillers Company’s first malt

By the 1890s the Distillers Company Ltd (DCL) was Scotland’s great grain-whisky combine, but it had no malt distilleries of its own. In 1893 it commissioned John Morrison to build one on land bought from the Duke of Fife. The site had springs on Knock Hill, local barley and peat, and Knock station on the Great North of Scotland Railway’s Banff branch. Knockdhu began producing in 1894 with two coal-fired pot stills.

Depression, war and closure

Knockdhu closed for a few years during the Depression after 1931, and again from 1940 to 1945 because of wartime barley restrictions. In 1947 its steam engine was retired when it was connected to the national grid. It worked through the post-war blending boom, but in 1983, in the great whisky slump, DCL closed it.

Inver House and anCnoc

In 1988 Knockdhu was bought by Inver House Distillers, and production restarted in February 1989. Inver House launched it as a single malt, at first as Knockdhu. Because the name was easily confused with Knockando, the whisky was renamed anCnoc in 1994, while the distillery kept its name. Inver House, now owned by Thai Beverage, also runs Balblair, Speyburn, Pulteney and Balmenach. anCnoc has become known for clean, modern packaging and a series of peated releases, led by Peatheart.

How it’s made

Knockdhu runs one wash still and one spirit still, with a capacity of around 1.7 million litres a year. The stills were originally coal-fired and are now heated by steam. Water comes from springs on Knock Hill. The core spirit is unpeated, light and fruity, and the peated anCnoc releases are made with malt peated to various levels.

Clans & the land

• The Gordons. This was Gordon country, ruled from Huntly Castle, 9 miles south. The castle’s carved heraldic front is one of the finest in Scotland. The Gordons’ feuds included the Battle of Brechin in 1452 and the Battle of Corrichie in 1562.
• The Duffs, Dukes of Fife. The distillery land was bought from the Duff family, whose estates covered much of Banffshire. They also built Duff House at Banff and founded Dufftown.
• The Ogilvies held lands nearer the coast, including Banff.

Churches, stones & the land

• Knock Hill (430 m) rises over the distillery and gives anCnoc its name. There is a path to the top for wide views across Banffshire.
• Strathbogie, the country around Huntly, has a fine Pictish and prehistoric heritage. An hour south are the Maiden Stone, the Newton Stone and the East Aquhorthies circle. See our standing stones guide.
• Keith, 9 miles west, has the old Auld Brig of 1609 over the Isla and the Victorian churches of a classic Speyside mill town.

There are no lochs here, just burns, farmland and the River Isla to the west. See our lochs guide for more.

Visiting

Knockdhu offers small, appointment-only tours and tastings. It is not open for walk-ins, so book ahead through ancnoc.com. Its size and remote setting make the visit unusually personal.

Nearby distilleries

• Strathisla, Keith (about 9 miles): one of the prettiest distilleries in Scotland, home of Chivas Regal’s heart.
• Glen Keith, Keith (about 9 miles).
• GlenDronach, Forgue (about 10 miles), with tours.
• Glenglassaugh, Portsoy (about 12 miles).
• Macduff, Banff (about 15 miles).
• Ardmore, Kennethmont (about 18 miles).

The whisky hub covers every region.

Sources

• Knockdhu distillery — Wikipedia.
• anCnoc, official site.
• Historic Environment Scotland (Huntly Castle).