On the rugged edge of Speyside, that famously distillery-dense region of Scotland, lies the remote and rural district of The Cabrach, where green hills are scattered with abandoned farmhouses. Though sparsely populated today, this area once bustled with life, and the farmhouses were a hub of production of hand-crafted uisge beatha. This corner of Scotland is often said to be the birthplace of single malt Scotch whisky as we know it today, owing to the sheer concentration of illicit distillers who thrived in this remote glen for centuries.

Even as it laid the foundations for the modern Scotch whisky industry, the introduction of the 1823 Excise Act led to the closure of many distilleries that couldn’t adapt to the new commercial reality. As the illicit, small-scale industry faded, so too did many of the communities that centred on the trade of spirit distilled by crofters in The Cabrach. Over time, the population in the area dwindled, the farmhouses gradually fell into disrepair, and the church bells went as silent as the stills.

Now, two centuries later, whisky-making has returned to this historic corner of Speyside through the completion of The Cabrach Distillery at Inverharroch Farm. A ceremony held in late October celebrated The Cabrach’s first run of new-make malt spirit — and started the clock for the imminent return of single malt Scotch whisky to this historic but forgotten parish.

The project, encompassing a community-owned distillery, heritage centre, and café, is led by The Cabrach Trust as part of its vision to restore the area to the thriving, sustainable community it once was. Housed in restored farm steadings, the walls of which date back to 1849, the distillery is bringing a forgotten whisky tradition back to life.

Overseeing production is respected whisky-maker Alan Winchester, formerly master distiller at The Glenlivet and now The Cabrach’s master of malt, who brings nearly five decades of experience in the industry, much of it spent in this very region. “It’s a fascinating part of the country,” Alan reflects, “one that’s been dealt a poor hand. Through the Trust’s work in researching the early distilleries and long-forgotten routes here, we’ve opened up a piece of history.”

With three blended malts crafted by Winchester and the first spirit distillation having taken place, a new chapter in The Cabrach’s story has begun. Driven by purpose, the community-owned Cabrach Distillery operates as a social enterprise, and, to support The Cabrach Trust’s wider regeneration plan for the area, all profits are poured back into the project. The team behind the distillery has also created The Cabrach Collective, a founding members’ club limited to 1849 members, that gives Scotch enthusiasts the opportunity to support the project and play a part in the story, while gaining access to exclusive bottlings and benefits.

Jonathan Christie, chief executive of The Cabrach Trust and The Cabrach Distillery, knows the connection felt by many in Speyside to the area: “Living just over the hill, I knew the stories; a place that once had 1,000 people call it home but now has fewer than 100. The scale of loss and decline has been striking.” He adds, “The Trust was founded in 2013, and now we’re at a key milestone: the return of legal whisky production to The Cabrach for the first time in over 170 years. If we get this right, it could be a model for rural regeneration across Scotland and beyond.”

Membership to The Cabrach Collective grants access to an exclusive range of bottlings. The Feering is a series-of-three blended malt Scotch whiskies, each crafted from a unique combination of casks committed by neighbouring Speyside distilleries and blended by Winchester, capturing the spirit of collaboration. “The ‘feering’ is a Doric word used to describe the first furrow line of a ploughed field,” Christie explains.

“It has to be good because it sets the guide for all the rest.” The phrase resonates with local history, quoted in The Cabrach Feerings, a 1920 text by the late James Taylor that tells of the families, farms, and boundaries of the area. For the team, it felt like the perfect name for their first whisky proposition. “It’s an indicator of what's to come,” Christie adds.

As for what’s to come, each of the three blended malts will be unique, crafted with different compositions that express the Speyside character. The first, called Early Harvest, was released earlier this year, with two more to follow in time. And then there’s the single malt. The first distillation in the area after nearly two centuries signified the beginning, that ‘first furrow’ setting the guide for the future, marking a journey from the last legal distilleries to these new first steps.

Membership of The Cabrach Collective provides more than just access to the Feering releases and the first Cabrach Single Malt Scotch Whisky in over 170 years; it offers a chance to be part of a bigger story and a social cause for good. Members directly support the local community, contributing to the area's renewal while gaining access to exclusive bottlings.

“The Cabrach Collective is a ‘give and get’ opportunity,” explains Jonathan. “By signing up, members get access to really good liquid, exclusive benefits, and insider access. They’re also giving us very important early support. Support to help get the distillery running, to lay down stock, to be part of the regeneration story and the social purpose that underpins that story as a whole.”

Along with early access to releases, membership includes a welcome pack with The Cabrach copita nosing glass, invitations to annual visits to Inverharroch Farm to explore the community regeneration project first-hand, and regular news and insights through the distillery's journal, The Ringing Stone, which is available exclusively to Collective members.

A nod to early communication methods from the days of illicit distilling: the ringing stone, when struck with a small rock, would emit a sound that reverberated across the hills, warning distillers of advancing tax collectors. Today, The Ringing Stone will keep members up to date on the journey: distillations, first cask fills, and, when the time comes, the release of the inaugural single malt.

Only 1,849 bottles will be available exclusively to The Cabrach Collective members. “These are the people who’ve been with us from the start, whose support has helped us bring this project to life,” Jonathan remarks. “They’ll be the first to know of milestones, like when the first casks are rolled across the dunnage warehouse, to when the first bottle appears.”

Membership to The Cabrach Collective is limited to just 1,849 members, a tribute to the historic steadings, home of The Cabrach Distillery, which have stood at Inverharroch since 1849. By joining through a one-time fee of £1,245 or a maturation plan with 10 monthly payments of £124.50, members aren’t just investing in limited whiskies – they’re supporting The Cabrach Trust’s mission to regenerate this historic community. The Collective provides an opportunity to be part of a new chapter in Scotland’s whisky history, right where the story of Scotch began.

More information on both the distillery and The Cabrach Collective can be found here.