Edradour

The below is taken from The Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom by Alfred Barnard first published in 1887. You can find the distillery profile at our Edradour overview

Edradour Distillery, Pitlochry.

JOURNEYING to Inverness by the Highland Railway from Perth, the traveller will probably pay a visit to beautiful Dunkeld, but if he can spare the time he will do well to stop a few days at Pitlochry, where he will find himself in a place equally delightful, and in the centre of some of the most charming scenery in the Highlands. If he is an angler there is salmon fishing to his heart’s content, and several trout streams in addition. We stayed at “Fisher’s,” one of the most comfortable and elegant hotels in the district. It possesses a banqueting hall, capable of seating 300 persons, with some fine suites of rooms attached, all of which look out on to lovely gardens and grounds. Attached to the hotel is an extensive livery establishment, where there is a good selection of both horses and vehicles. Mr. Fisher, jun., manager of the hotel farm, and son of the proprietor, drove us to Edradour, and entertained us by the way with a description of the places we passed. It is a half-hour’s journey over the hills, from the top of which we had fine views of the valley, including Pitlochry village, the Hydropathic Establishment, country seats, and a spreading country as far as the eye could reach. The Distillery, which was built in 1837, is situated at the foot of a steep hill on the road side, and consists of a few ancient buildings not unlike a farmstead, past which flows one of the most rampant and brawling streams in the district. On either side of this river, heather in rich abundance hangs from the banks and jutting corners of the rocks, and there is water power sufficient to drive several water-wheels. The works consist of a Barley Barn, Malting House, and Mill, all in one building. The Mash Tun has a capacity of 1,000 gallons, and there are four Washbacks holding the same quantity. The Still House is across the yard, and contains a Wash Still and a Low-wines Still, the former holding 740 and the latter 420 gallons. There are three Warehouses, a Spirit Store and small cask shed, and at the end of the yard a cart-shed, stable, and same outhouses.

The Whisky is Highland Malt, and the annual output is 6,600 gallons. Mr, McIntosh rents the Distillery from the Duke of Athole, whose delightful estate of Blair Athole is in the next parish, and contains many noted waterfalls. Before leaving the district we visited some of them, and also the celebrated Pass of Killiecrankie. The cascades are of great interest and variety, the water running over the rocks from one dark basin or linn to another, succeeded by more considerable waterfalls from twelve to thirty-five feet high, and over several of these chasms bridges have been thrown.