Glen Mhor

This week I dig into the find that Glen Mhor sourced an element of its peat needs from a local source in Foyers, Loch Ness. Thanks to Gladys for remembering this detail that adds to what we know about the distillery.

Also, I'm taking a couple of weeks off (family holiday) and this will also allow me to prepare more information about Glen Mhor and Glen Albyn.

Glen Mhor Foyers Peat Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

We've reached November 1916, although my first thought was what happened to October 1916 in the pile of bills we've been digesting. One for the Glen Mhor mystery folder, which seems to be bursting at the seams.

Perhaps as a consolation prize, we actually have two invoices from November 1916, one of which is excitingly labelled as relating to the Muirtown Canal Basin. That's next up, but for now we're firmly on the railway tracks with the Highland Railway Company's shipments. And what a sizeable, blockbuster invoice it is!

It appears that this was a particularly active month at the distillery, as the season reached its peak. There is no other plausible explanation for this on our timeline, other than orders for filling were robust and Glen Mhor was a highly sought-after product by blenders. This indicates that business was thriving.

November 1916 The Highland Railway Company Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

This week we're back in the 1920s and a donation to the Anti-Prohibition movement; an interesting period for UK distillers.

Anti-Prohibition Donation 6th February 1924 Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

One of my favourite discoveries so far, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

My thanks to Gladys for all her memories and family photos.

1975 Glen Mhor Alexander Campbell Retirement Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

Today, the nation's focus might be elsewhere, but it is business as usual for Glen Mhor and another train invoice from 1916...

September 1916 The Highland Railway Company Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

Loving some of these old Inverness adverts from 1906 and 1911 including local blends

This week we have a new photograph taken within Glen Mhor, which is identified as the filling station. The actual transcription reads as:

'Have you ever been inside a distillery? Among 11 per cent overproof whisky? Well, here's 'Operation Final' at Glen Mhor Distillery, Inverness, where the newly-distilled whisky is going into the clients' wood. Yes, there's an Exciseman present. (Deil tak' the man!)'

Glen Mhor Daily Record 10th May 1947 Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

Finally, we have reached the final set of plans associated with Glen Mhor on Telford Street, which are available from the Highland Archive Centre in Inverness for viewing. My thanks once again to the team for letting me use these as part of the ongoing research.

As previously speculated, there is a notable gap in the planning applications from this period until the 1990s, when they are available online. This highlights that, wherever these records are located, they will contain further changes at Glen Mhor, given what is confirmed on our existing Timeline. It is simply a matter of conducting further research and consulting with relevant parties, which I will undertake at the appropriate time. Hopefully, we'll have more plans to bring to you at a later date. After all, one thing the Glen Mhor project has been is a continuous barrel of surprises!

Glen Mhor Workmen Houses Alterations May 1950 Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

This week I’m checking out a Gordon & MacPhail Glen Mhor as those special moments cannot come soon enough.

Gordon & MacPhail Glen Mhor 1979 Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

I'm really excited to share another big step forward in the Glen Mhor research project. We've uncovered the first internal colour photograph of the stills themselves.

This amazing find is thanks to Gladys, whose father gave tours of the distillery when they were available in the early 1970s. What makes this find even more remarkable is the covering letter from Lt. James B. McMullin of the Lancaster City Police, thanking the distillery for his tour in 1971.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, and my thanks once again to Gladys for allowing me to bring this to a wider audience. And to Alan Wi******er for his amazing insight into what the photograph can tell us about Glen Mhor.

Glen Mhor Distillery Tour August 1971 Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

We've arrived at an interesting set of plans for the expansion of Glen Mhor's malting capacity. This is the last set of plans that we have to publish, which come from September 1947.

As I've speculated recently, there seems to be a gap in the Highland Archive's records, with the only remaining set of plans being for alterations to the workers' cottages in 1950. There's nothing else after that, which, given the range of work we've uncovered at the distillery, including two new warehouses in the 1960s, means there must be a dusty box (or ideally, boxes) somewhere in the Inverness area waiting to be discovered. The online records of approved plans by the council go back to the early 1990s, so this is an area we may return to in the future.

1947 Barley Hopper & Brewing Plant Glen Mhor Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

Some closeups of a Glen Mhor retirement event at the distillery. It’s a great moment that I’m able to bring you soon thanks to Gladys and access to her father’s time at the distillery.

Love the fact he’s sitting on a cask!

Our examination of the 1916 Highland Railway Company shipments involving Glen Mhor continues. Prior to delving into this particular offering from August, it should indicate that the distillery is returning to production after its traditional silent season, which range from June for 6-8 weeks in duration.

August 1916 The Highland Railway Company Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

A great area of the website is the Glen Mhor Timeline, which shows pretty much everything that's been discovered in date order.

Plus I hope, much more to come!

Timeline Closed Distilleries, Glen Mhor distillery, lost distillery, Inverness

This week the identification of the Birnie grave plots at the Tomnahurich Cemetery in Inverness. The Victorian cemetery is situated in close proximity to the distillery site, just across the River Ness and onto the next peninsula. It is also home to the grave site of Robert Robertson and his family, as will the graves of several other individuals associated with Glen Mhor.

John Birnie & William Birnie Family Grave Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

July 1916 represents a brief and ultimately tranquil period at the distillery, as traditionally Glen Mhor was closed for its silent season during June and July. The above invoice is likely indicative of this, as the men were engaged in a variety of maintenance tasks that needed to be completed while distilling was temporarily suspended.

July 1916 The Highland Railway Company Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

I'm pleased to resume my research on the topic of train invoices for Glen Mhor and, in particular, the Highland Railway Company. This is a subject I have previously explored, in 2021, with a series of invoices dating from 1917 that provided a fascinating insight into the activities at the distillery.

I remain grateful to the wider community for their assistance in acquiring a collection of Glen Mhor-related documents in late 2023. This has enabled me to examine a clutch of additional train invoices, seven in total, from the preceding year. We're kicking off the process now with June 1916 first up.

June 1916 The Highland Railway Company Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

Our journey through the acquired collection of documents continues as the subject of peat, and Eday peat in particular, comes up again. Mackinlay & Birnie sought out Eday peat because it was recognised as the best of its kind, despite the extra effort required to transport it to the mainland. I'd wager that they were long-time users of this valuable peat resource. The question is when?

Mackinlay & Birnie Eday Peat Invoice 30th September 1921 Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

A great photo, taken from the Rodney Burtt collection and digitally scrubbed up with a.i.

The wonderful thing is we actually know who this is, with Rodney’s own words…

‘Russell McGregor, works manager of Glen Mhor (in my time), turning the barley in the 1950s’

So, this image predates Rodney‘s time at the distillery, which would suggest it was one of a series of promotional photographs taken for Mackinlay and Birnie. These would be used for press articles and often found their way onto the wall of the distillery office.

It also confirmed the progression that many enjoyed at Glen Mhor and other distilleries across Scotland. Russell in a prior decade doing the most manual and laborious of tasks. Before rising up to become works manager. No doubt armed with great knowledge and experience of each step needed to produce whisky.

One image, a great one. Finally, we see the men and women of Glen Mhor.

Glen Mhor Distillery Staff 1939 Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

Always great fun and informative to add a new photograph of Glen Mhor to the research and consider what it tells us.

Glen Mhor Photograph Neil M. Gunn Glen Mhor Whisky Distillery

And Glen Mhor is back...

Seeing how today, there's a big football match in Scotland, it felt like the ideal time to post these recently discovered images of Glasgow Rangers playing Caley in 1978 at the Telford Street stadium. These give us a unique view of the 'distillery end' and the recently built modern warehouses in the distance.

My thanks to Alex for taking his Kodak Instamatic along to the match and capturing these moments, and by chance, adding more to this project 46 years later.

https://www.glenmhorwhisky.com/2024/04/glen-mhor-29th-july-1978-caley-versus.html

This image scrubbed up really well with a.i. although it wasn’t in too bad shape to begin with.

You can clearly see on the right hand side, the distillery office which we’ve published the plans of recently. The office featured a room for the manager/owner (likely home to a Birnie) and only through this room, could you enter the sample room. Especially designed with cabinets on three sides, full of Glen Mhor.

Sadly, we’ve yet to find any photographs of the sample room.

You can also appreciate the drive into the distillery from this image taken in the early 1970s. After a little break, the research starts again next week 😊

A great image that’s been scrubbed up with a.i. To reasonable effect. The casks seem to be all from 1919 and Glen Albyn, but I’m unable to confirm if this was taken at an Albyn warehouse or a Glen Mhor equivalent.

However using what I know, I’d say this image was taken in 1920 or thereabouts to document Mackinlay & Birnie purchasing Glen Albyn.

What’s also very interesting about this image is the fact that in 1919, when these tasks were filled, Mackinlay & Birnie weren’t the owners. Meaning, the staff must have repainted the cask ends to reflect the change and possibly for this photo - would they have done all the casks in all of the warehouses?

Here’s another a.i. colourised image which shows Glen Mhor prior to losing this view when the football ground was built up.

It also gives you a sense of how rural Muirtown was prior to the expansion of Inverness.

All about local bere barley this week and the first mention of Glen Albyn on the company invoice, which was purchased in 1920. This 1921 Mackinlay & Birnie document creates more speculation...

https://www.glenmhorwhisky.com/2024/03/20th-september-1921-mackinlay-birnie.html