A DISTILLED HISTORY

Chronology of Tain and Glenmorangie

c3500 BC
First barley grown in Ross-shire

1065
Death of St. Duthac of Tain

1468
Establishment of Morangie and Tarlogie as Chaplinaries
of St Duthac's Church, Tain.

1494
First mention of Whisky making in the Exchequer
Rolls of Scotland

1567
Thomas Ross becomes the first Abbot of St Duthac's
and acquires the land of Morangie (his descendants retained ownership until c1818)

1640
First reference of whisky distilling near Tain

1703
First written evidence of whisky distilling at Glenmorangie when an
'aquavitae pott with it ffleake and stand' is mentioned in the will of George
Ross, great grandson of Thomas the Abbot.

1714 - 1817
Many citations of illicit distilling in Morangie, Tarlogie and Tain.

c1811
Establishment of the Morangie Farm.

1820
Establishment of a distillery at Tain

1843
Glenmorangie distillery licensed by the Matherson brothers.

1849
Production reaches 20,000 gallons.

1880
Record of Glenmorangie being exported to Rome and San Francisco.

1883
Start of distillery reconstruction by William Matherson (pioneering introduction
of steam coils to heat the wash)

1894
Foundation of the Highland Aerated Water Co. at Tain by the directors.

1915 - 19
Cut back in production owing to the First World War

1918
Glenmorangie bought by Macdonald and Muir of Leith

1931 - 36
Distillery closed owing to the effects of the Great Depression.

1941 - 44
Distillery ceased production due to barley rationing during World War II

1976/80
Demand for Glenmorangie leads to stock rationing with stock bought
from blenders and brokers

1980
Number of stills doubled, to four.

1983
Forest and catchment area surrounding the Tarlogie Springs purchaced
from the Duke of Westminster's trustees.

1990
Number of stills doubled again, to eight.

1991
H.M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother visits Glenmorangie.

1993
Glenmorangie Distillery sesquicentennial anniversary.

THE STORY OF GLENMORANGIE MALT WHISKY DISTILLING Introduction Chronology of Distilling The Early Days of Distilling Illicit Whisky Distilling STORIES AROUND THE DISTILLERY Introduction The Ancient Burgh The Immortal Walter Scott The White Lady GLENMORANGIE DISTILLERY Introduction Early Days at Glenmorangie Enmeshed in the local rural framework A comfortable little backwater Maltbarns into makeshift barracks New owners and the Roaring Twenties A return to older ways Progress has some advantages THE HISTORY OF THE AREA Introduction Earliest Times The Dark Ages Ross in the Middle Ages The Wars of Independence The Church of St Duthac at Tain The Reformation/Ross of Morangie