Glenrothes

An auctioneer's guide to Glenrothes, Edrington's other Speyside distillery

Glenrothes distillery was built by James Stuart & Co. with William Grant, Robert Dick and John Cruikshank in 1878. It was a time of challenging financial circumstances due to the collapse of the Glasgow Bank, but a timely loan from the United Free Presbyterian Church of Knockando allowed the distillery to begin operations in 1879.
The distillery changed its name to Glenrothes-Glenlivet in 1884 and three years later it merged with Islay Distillery Co., owner of Bunnahabhain, to form Highland Distillers.
Glenrothes gained a reputation as an excellent blending malt and found its way into the Cutty Sark and Famous Grouse blends.
The distillery was damaged by fire in 1897 and six years later an explosion caused significant damage. The 1960s saw expansion from four to six stills and over the next 26 years this was raised to 10 stills.
In 1987 Glenrothes joined the Berry Bros portfolio. The firm repackaged the brand and began to release single vintage malts in the early 1990s.
Today, The Glenrothes is owned by Edrington.