Strathmore

Strathmore History

During the late 1950s and early 60s demand for Scotch blends was sky high. The American market had kicked in with full force and Scottish distillers were rushing to increase production. The period saw a wave of multifunctional distilleries crop up around the country, including George Christie’s North of Scotland complex at Cambus in 1958.

While North of Scotland was the name given to the grain distilling operation, Christie also installed two copper pot stills on-site to produce malt whisky, a separate distillery he called Strathmore.

With demand for grain whisky – the bulk filling in blends – rapidly outstripping the demand for malt whisky, Christie took the decision after just one year to strip out Strathmore’s pot stills to make way for an additional mash tun that would boost output of North of Scotland grain spirit.

Very nearly all of Strathmore’s limited run of whisky was sold to blenders, though Christie’s son, Ricky – now co-owner of the North of Scotland Distilling Company – claims two bottles of Strathmore single malt are in existence. One resides with himself, while the location of the other is unknown.

The North of Scotland grain distillery was later closed and sold to DCL in 1982.