Once upon a time, travelling close to the Scottish east coast between the cities of Dundee and Aberdeen, there would have been little doubt that you were in whisky country. The journey would have involved passing close to North Port and Glencadam distilleries in Brechin, Lochside and Glenesk (or Hillside) at Montrose, Fettercairn, near Laurencekirk, and Royal Glenury in Stonehaven.
History has not dealt kindly with the Eastern Highlands whisky-producing area, however, with only Fettercairn and Glencadam standing the test of time, although Arbikie has been a welcome addition to the region.
In the historic town of Brechin, almost halfway between Dundee and Aberdeen, the site of North Port is now occupied by a Co-op supermarket, but its near neighbour of Glencadam has managed to survive the slings and arrows of Scotch whisky fortunes, despite an ominous three-year period from 2000, when it looked as though the distillery, then owned by Allied Domecq, might not survive being mothballed.
However, 2003 saw Angus Dundee Distillers come riding to the rescue, gradually raising the profile of Glencadam single malt, although, like that of its owners, Glencadam is not exactly a name on every consumer’s lips, despite a remarkably comprehensive portfolio of age-statement and non-age-statement cask-finished whiskies.
The distillery was founded by George Cooper in the wake of the reformative 1823 Excise Act, and this year sees the distillery celebrate its 200th anniversary. Whereas many much higher profile distilleries would have contented themselves with a commemorative limited-edition bottling and a self-congratulatory press release, the quiet team behind Glencadam chose to do something rather more dramatic.
They decided to create the distillery’s first visitor centre, complete with a pair of replica Charles Doig pagodas. According to an Angus Dundee spokesperson, “As part of the construction, key architectural features of the distillery have been reimagined to pay homage to its treasured traditions, including the iconic pagoda roofs.
“Inspired by the original Charles Doig architectural drawings from the distillery’s archive, the newly installed Doig Ventilators have been reinterpreted as skylights, allowing natural light and ventilation into the space. While preserving Glencadam’s signature style, with their distinctive vertical seams, the pagodas have been refined with straight seams on the underside to prevent excess fabricator waste. An ornamental spire and ball, replicating the original Doig design, has been added atop each ventilator.”
Leading the team which has developed the visitor experience is brand home manager Michael Van der Veen, who previously spent seven years in a similar role at Kingsbarns in Fife.
Van der Veen says, “Before this, there were no formal visitor facilities. The distillery manager would show people around if he wasn’t too busy. And there was a board room where occasional tastings were held.
“From a concentration on blends up to 2010, subsequently there has been much greater concentration on single malts within Angus Dundee, so we wanted more engagement and rapport with the public by being able to bring them into our home. We want to bring Glencadam into the spotlight as it’s not a brand that springs to mind.”
Accordingly, the old office building has been demolished to make way for the visitor centre, which has been created behind the retained original stone façade.
Van der Veen explains, “This is not particularly whisky country now, but a new visitor centre at a very old distillery will pull people in. We’ve built it, and we’ll see if they come! There should be interest because people haven’t been able to see the distillery before, and it’s just a couple of minutes’ drive off the very busy A90 road between Dundee and Aberdeen. It will be interesting to see sales of Glencadam over the next five years with the visitor centre in operation, increasing the brand’s profile.”
No expense has been spared on the new facilities in terms of design, materials, and finish, which skilfully combine tradition and a fresh, contemporary feel. Initially, two levels of tour are being offered, with the more basic version lasting for around 90 minutes. Additional visitor experiences will be added during 2026, including one devoted to blending, as whisky blending is such an important part of Angus Dundee’s activities.
The family firm was established back in 1950 by Aaron Hillman, and much of its business has been based around bulk whisky exports and global own-label ventures. The company owns Tomintoul Distillery on Speyside as well as Glencadam and is currently creating its own malt distillery and visitor centre in the Zhejiang province of China.
Van der Veen adds, “At Glencadam we make recipes for all over the world, bringing in grain and other malts, and there are similar facilities at Tomintoul. The company has a bottling plant at Coatbridge, near Glasgow, and most bottling is done there, while bulk spirit goes directly to customers.”
In these uncertain times when many distilleries have reduced output, it is heartening to learn that Glencadam is working at full capacity of 1.3m litres per annum, operating three shifts per day, seven days per week, carrying out a total of 16 mashes in the process.
Within the distillery’s new visitor centre reception and retail area are two fill-your-own bottling points which offer diverse options of cask strength single malt, and as Van der Veen explains, “Although it’s a brand-new visitor centre, we have lots of expressions from Glencadam and Tomintoul and whiskies up to 40/50 years of age to offer.”
Tours commence with an introductory video and an interactive presentation between the ‘live’ guide and an on-screen old-time distiller, followed by an exhibition charting the history of Brechin, its locale, and Glencadam distillery, from Pictish times to the present day.
A visit to the production area follows, and this space has enjoyed a facelift and the installation of some new stairs to make it suitable for members of the public. The distillery features a five-tonne stainless-steel mashtun and six wooden washbacks, which have replaced the existing stainless-steel vessels for improved visual appeal.
The two stills are crammed closely together, with upward-angled lyne arms, which contribute significantly to the floral and pear drops character of the new-make spirit. Alongside the stills is a striking, illuminated working replica of the original water wheel that once powered the entire distillery.
Tour participants then spend time in one of the original 1825 dunnage warehouses and a more modern racked example, before sampling a range of Glencadam drams in the luxurious but restrained Whisky Lounge.
The Lounge will be open to members of the wider public at times, while the café located on the first floor of the visitor centre offers regular access to those not touring the distillery, and the Glencadam team hopes it will become a go-to destination for the local community. It boasts an outside seating area with panoramic views of Brechin, complete with its 13th-century cathedral and nearby Brechin City football ground.
The developments at Glencadam are completed by a lavish VIP area for trade visitors, many from overseas, who may be accommodated in a house on site and in Angus Dundee’s Tomintoul House at Nethy Bridge, just a few miles from the firm’s Tomintoul distillery on Speyside. The mansion was formerly owned by legendary signer and musician Bob Dylan.
You don’t have to be a girl from the north country or know what’s blowin’ in the wind to appreciate a visit to Glencadam Distillery. In Brechin, the times they are a-changing.
