Blair Athol distillery

Diageo’s most overlooked one! Being the basis of

Blair Athol was originally named Aldour after the local burn.

Blair Athol factsheet

Name	Pronounced	AKA	Region	Country of Origin
Blair Athol	blair ath*ull	Aldour	Highlands	Scotland
Status	Active	Whisky Type	Website	Tours Available
Active	1798 - Present	Malt	Blair Athol	Tour Link
Manager	Distiller	Blender	Owned by	Parent Group
	Shane Fraser		Diageo

Blair Athol Timeline:

1798: Established by John Stewart and Robert Robertson named Aldour Distillery after the nearby river Allt Dour, meaning "Burn of the Otter". This is not a success, probably because of the heavy excise duties on whisky, and the distillery shut

1825: The distillery is expanded by Robert Robertson and renamed Blair Athol Distillery (1825-26 mentioned as well)

1826: The Duke of Atholl leases the distillery to Alexander Connacher & Co.

1827-29: Alexander Connacher & Co.

1829-42: Peter Fraser & Co.

1832: The distillery closes

1852: Alexander Conacher & Co. (Connacher ?)

1860-82: Elizabeth Conacher (Connacher ?)

1882: Purchased and enlarged by P. MacKenzie & Co. (Peter Mackenzie, born in Glenlivet, described himself as a wine and spirit broker of 17A South Castle Street, Liverpool). Two new granaries and malting floors were added

1886: Capacity of over 1,500 gallons (6,800 litres) per week

1897: P. Mackenzie & Co. Distillers Ltd. formed to take over P. Mackenzie & Co. and the Dufftown-Glenlivet Distillery Co. Ltd.

Turn of the century: Capacity for 100,000 gallons (454,000 litres)

1932: Distillery closes

1933: P. Mackenzie & Co. Distillers Ltd. purchased by Arthur Bell & Sons Ltd., but distillery not used until 1949

1949: Distillery rebuilt and reopened

1970: Stills become steamheated, and are increased from two to four

1975: Dark-grain plant

1985: Guinness Group buys Arthur Bell & Sons Ltd.

1987: A visitor centre is built

1992: Licensed to Arthur Bell & Sons plc

1999: Owned by United Distillers & Vintners Ltd. (UDV)