BON ACCORD REVISITED

 Union Glen & Bon-Accord Distilleries

DYERS HALL LANE WITH THE UNION GLEN CHIMNEY IN THE BACKGROUND

Bon Accord is something of a Frankenstein distillery – established using the stills and vessels of the failed Union Glen distillery, transported into the shell of the former brewery next door. ‘Bon Accord,’ or ‘good agreement’ – was the watchword of the Scots on that wintry night in the old Churchyard, when the English were attacked by the townspeople in the time of Bruce, in March 1296 CE. Without this password, they would not have been able to distinguish friend from foe.

Union Glen Distillery lay along Dyers Hall Lane. The name derives from the days when the old Dyers’Association met there, amidst a row of typical Scottish urban cottages. It was felt after WWII that it would be too costly to preserve the cottages for their historic interest, although they were among the few remaining examples of 18th century houses in the City; they were demolished in 1956.

Union Glen Distillery was built in the year 1820. The assets were sequestered in 1853 and dismantled in 1855, the stills and other vessels being purchased by the former proprietor of the Bon-Accord Distillery.

Bon-Accord Distillery was established in 1855 and the Union Glen equipment incorporated into an earlier Brewery Site  of Cadenhead, Barron, & Co. Brewers, Newbridge, Hardgate, established in 1785.  In the following decades, Bon-Accord developed into one of the largest Pot Still producers of Malt Whisky in Scotland.  Bon-Accord was formally incorporated as a Limited Company in 1876. 

Over the years, the Distillery suffered several fires, until a major fire destroyed much of the complex in 1885. Production was halted for a long period and never fully recovered. The Distillery was then rebuilt.  However, the Company never fully recovered from the effects of this fire and the owners liquidated it in 1896.   A merger of the Distilleries Dailuaine & Talisker took over the Distillery and passed it under the name North of Scotland.

Operation was resumed but under a new name: North of Scotland Distillery.  With 2-Pot Stills and six 10,000 gallon washbacks, it had an annual production of 300,000 gals.  In 1910, a further major fire resulted in high material damage. Since the distillery could no longer reach its former market share, it was finally closed in 1913.

Dailuaine Distillery on Speyside was established in 1851 by William Mackenzie and in 1879, his son Thomas formed Mackenzie & Company with James Fleming. The Distillery was rebuilt and renamed The Dailuaine-Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd. in 1884.  Dailuaine derives from the Scottish Gaelic ‘An dail uaine’ meaning ‘Green Valley’. In 1898, Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries Ltd was formed when it was merged with Talisker Distillery Ltd. along with Imperial Distillery. The group acquired Bon-Accord Distillery in the Hardgate, Aberdeen and renamed it North of Scotland.

Established as North of Scotland Distillery Co Ltd. by Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries Ltd. – opened circa 1898 – closed 1913. The North of Scotland Distillery was also referred to as Bon-Accord Distillery in local records.

Several Distilleries in Aberdeen including the North of Scotland Distillery were destroyed by fire. On 27th September 1904, over 88,000 gals of whisky, valued at 1/6d per gal, was lost in the North of Scotland Distillery fire and total damage was estimated at £108,000. The Daluaine-Talisker Distillery burned for over 12 hrs. It is believed that a workman accidentally started the fire whilst trying to repair a barrel.

Fires in distilleries were rather common, as the Scots didn’t have the good sense to keep flammable materials far from any source of fire. Keeping thousands of litres of spirit close to open coal fires under the pot still was a classic example. In this case, a blazing stream of spirit poured from the Bonded Warehouse down to the Ferryhill Burn and the City Sewage System. The scene was described as a perfect Inferno with the spirituous flames almost free of smoke, belching forth with ever-increasing fury. Leaping from the ground ‘as from a huge Christmas pudding – the flames swirled & twisted with lightning-like rapidity into the most extraordinary forms imaginable‘.

THE UNION GLEN IN 1901

Charles Barnard paid a visit to this distillery. He relates it in his inimitable style. The route used was from the Guild Street Station to the Bon-Accord Distillery through the noble New Market Buildings, left up Union Street, and along the Bon Accord Terrace. Here they turned sharply to the right, and descended a Steep Hill (Cherry Bank Gardens) into Union Glen, the most prominent object there, on the opposite Slope, being the Distillery on the Hardgate. There is a lively Rivulet running past the Works called the Ferryhill Burn (Holburn), but its Waters are not used in the Works, and it is allowed to pursue the Course of its own sweet will unmolested and into the River Dee.

The Distillery dates back to the year 1785, when it was an Old Brewery, (Webster & Co?) and supplied the notables of that period with its famous “Stingo” (an old nickname for a strong Barley Wine).  It is also in the vicinity of the former property of the Old Union Glen Distillery, Built in 1820 and dismantled in 1855, the Stills and other vessels being purchased by the former proprietor of Bon-Accord Distillery.  In the year 1876 the whole of the Bon-Accord Property was acquired by the present Limited company, the North of Scotland Distillery who made extensive alterations and improvements to it; but early in 1885 all the old buildings, except No.4 Granary and No.2 Malt Barns, were burnt to the ground. As proof  of the enterprise of this company and the diligence of the contractor,  the whole Distillery, with the exception of the ancient buildings referred to, was rebuilt in a larger and more modern style, fitted up and furnished in 11 months.  It extended from New Bridge, Hardgate to the Willowbank Road.

The Distillery, built of solid granite, is of handsome elevation and covers nearly 3-acres of ground. The Works consists of a quadrangular block of buildings, with a projecting Wing on the left at the back of the new offices & board room. We were admitted to the Spiritual Precincts through a postern gate and found ourselves in a covered roadway or court, 140-ft long & 16-ft wide which led to all the departments of the establishment.  We made our Tour of Inspection under the guidance of John Thomson, the Manager of the distillery, who explained to us the arrangements & modus operandi as we went along. We were struck by the neatness & order displayed in every department, and the ingenuity which had contrived the arrangement & position of the vessels. The guide 1st led the way to the Barley Lofts & Maltings, so that we might follow the process from the beginning.

These Maltings are Built on the Steep part of the Hill, and a Roadway through an Outer Yard on the same Property has been constructed to the Doors of the Barley Lofts so that the Grain can be tipped directly onto the Floor without the use of Hoists or Elevators.  We began to Ascend the moment we left the Covered Roadway and gradually passed round by means of Staircases to the South-east angle of the Works, where are the No.s 1 & 2 Maltings, Built in the shape of the letter ‘L’, and which Farm the Wing of the Distillery before referred to.  One of these Buildings, which is designated as the No.1 Granary & Maltings, is 154-ft Long & 49-ft Broad.  It is a Lofty Structure and is divided into 3-Floors, each of which is well lit and supported by massive Iron Columns.

The Top Storey is the Granary, and the same idea of its size & capacity may be ascertained by the fact that it will hold 5,000-Quarters of barley. At its Northern end there are 2-Steeps, each capable of wetting 60-Quarters at one time. These Metal Steeps are sunk into the Floor, and their contents discharged on to the Lower Floor by the simple contrivance of a Lever Screw, which raises the Sluices from the bottom. This Malting Floor is concreted, and of same dimensions as the Granary above. The 3rd or Basement Floor is a Bonded Warehouse. We now paid a visit to the No.2 Granary, which communicates with the others, but is not quite so large. Here there is a Cock-loft in the Roof 128-ft Long & 19-ft Broad, holding 2,000-Quarters of barley, whilst the Granary Floor underneath, which is of the same length, but 40-feet Broad, will hold 3,000-Quarters of Grain. Under this Floor there are 2-Warehouses of same dimensions.  Before leaving this Section of the Works our Guide conducted us to the Platform on the Roof to see the huge Water-Tank, which covers part of the No.2 Granary, and holds 45,000-gals.  We may here state that the Company possess a Well about 100-ft Deep, which cost £3,000 to Sink, and it is that Water which is pumped up to this Tank. Where we stand is the highest point of the Distillery, and the Prospect, although not extensive, is interesting, embracing on one side the City, with its Monuments & Stately Buildings, the Harbour & the North Sea; on the other, the Strawberry Bank, Crowned by Bon-Accord Terrace and at the back, the Grounds of Willowbank.

We now descended to the ground level, and crossed the roadway to the other Granary Building which farms a portion of the Old Works created in 1788 and spared by the late Fire.  It is a 3-Storey Structure, 108-ft Long & 19-ft Broad. The top holds 1,000-Quarters of barley, the 2nd is a concreted Malting, whilst the Basement farms the No.4 Bond. Adjoining the Main Building and at the end of the new Maltings there is a Lofty Kiln, 36-ft square & 65-ft high, Floored with Metal Plates, heated with Peats from Orkney and shut off from the other Buildings by a double set of Swing Iron Doors.  Exactly opposite and at the end of the Old Maltings, and forming a part of the Central Block, is another Kiln of similar size & dimensions, the intervening space between the 2 being filled up by the Malt Deposit Room, said to be one of the largest in the North of Scotland; it is 65-ft Long by 33-ft Wide & 16-ft high, holds 1,200-Quarters and is filled from either or both of the Kilns. 

We now descended by a Stair to the Malt Mill, which contains a pair of Metal Rollers, and is fed from a Chamber above, which communicates with the Malt Deposit through a Doorway shut off by a pair of Fire-proof Doors.  On the same Floor as the Mill is the Engine House, containing a capital horizontal Steam Engine of 30-hp, which, with a small Donkey Engine, used for Pumping Water to the Boiler & Driving the Chains in the Stills, etc, is the only Motive Power on the Premises, so much being accomplished by Gravitation.  At the right hand we now pass through a Doorway into the Mash House, 34-ft x 27-ft & 30-ft high, entirely devoted to the Brewing Department As we pass along Mr Thomson described to us how the Ground Malt is lifted by the Elevators to the Grist Chamber above, and we climb a Stair to have a Peer into the Hopper which fills the Mouth of the Steel’s Mashing Machine, where the Hot Water joins the Grist and never leaves its company again until they Bath become Etherealised, and start on their Voyage to minister to the enjoyment of mankind.  But to return to the Mash House; on an Iron Bridge above the Tun are 2-Heating Tanks with a capacity together of 11,000 gals, and underneath, in the Centre of the Floor, is the Mash Tun, a Circular Iron Vessel 17-ft in dia & 6-ft Deep, containing the usual Drawing Plates & Stirring Gear, the draught from which is pumped into the Grains Receiver and can be dropped from there, either into the Courtyard or into the Farmers’ Carts. 

The Underback, which is constructed of Metal, is under the Mash Tun and holds 4,000-gals. From that receptacle the Worts are Pumped by a Centrifugal Pump to the Worts Receiver holding 3,000-gals, which rests on 3-Iron Beams over the Court-way, and from whence the Worts run through a Morton’s Refrigerator into the Fermenting Tuns.  We now entered the Back-house, a Stone Structure 50-ft Long, 36-ft Wide & 30-ft High, possessing a double Staging Floor constructed with stout Pine laths.  It contains 6–Washbacks, each holding 10,000-gals, the Switches of which are driven by Steam.  The Basement of this large Building is used for Cleaning, Steaming & Storing Casks, and the Floor is concreted. We now leave the Covered Warehouse and pass through an Open Court into the Boiler House, which contains a Steam Boiler 26-ft Long & 7-ft in dia, over which is placed the Wash Charger holding 10,000-gals. This is rather a good arrangement, as the Wash gets warm before running into the Stills.

We were now conducted through a Doorway into the next Building, which is the Still- house. It is 65-ft Long, 36-ft Wide & 30-ft High, and contains 4-Pot Stills, 2 of them being Wash and 2–Spirit Stills. The former contain each 3,600-gals, and the latter 2,036 gals each, all heated by Open Furnaces. The Worm Tub forms the Roof of the Boiler House, and is constructed on a new principle. It consists of a Deep Iron Tank, 62-ft Long & 20-ft Broad, wherein are coiled 4 distinct Warms, the peculiarity of which consists of the lLiquor being divided into 16 separate parts, in the centre of the Warm, and after running over a 100-ft in this Warm, is again collected and conducted in one pipe to the Spirit Receiver. This Warm Tank is copiously supplied with cold water through a perforated pipe extending along the bottom the whole length of the Tank, and the heated water is taken of the top by an overflow pipe at each end of the Tank.  On a Gallery at the end of the Still-house is placed the safe, also a Low-wines & Feints Receiver, holding 3.412-gals, and a Spirit Receiver 3,440-gals.

We now returned to the Covered Court and visited the Spirit Store – a neat Apartment 50-ft Long, 33-ft Wide & 12ft High, containing a Vat which holds 5,000 gals, and receives the Spirit from the Receiver by Gravitation. From there we passed on to the Bottling Store, which is at the side of the Main Entrance, and is 30-ft long, 27-ft Wide & 15-ft High, well lit & Floored with cement.  The Manager informed us that the Company only Bottle for Export, and Ship same under Bond, the Brand being the well-known “Cock-o’-the-North.”  A representation of the Game-cock, forming a part of the Registered Trade Mark of the Company, has for upwards of a Century adorned the Parapet of the Main Entrance to the Distillery. The 4 large Bonded Warehouses already referred to, are capable of storing upwards of 8,000 Casks, and are all well lit & ventilated. There is a Cooperage in the outer Yard, and Goods Store Sheds. Over 20-men are employed on the premises, and there are 3-Excise Officers.  The Whisky is Fine Malt, and the Distillery is capable of producing over 300,000 gals annually which entitles “Bon-Accord” to rank as one of the largest Highland Malt Distilleries in Scotland.

 

NORTH OF SCOTLAND DISTILLERY TODAY