The History Of Cragganmore
1869
The distillery is founded by John Smith, thought to be the most experienced distiller of his day. A former manager of Macallan, Glenlivet and Wishaw distilleries, and leaseholder of Glenfarclas distillery – he persuades his landlord, Sir George Macpherson-Grant, to lease him the land to build a new distillery at Ballindalloch beside the Strathspey railway line.
1887
The first 'whisky special' leaves Ballindalloch Station for Aberdeen, it's 25 wagons carrying 300 casks of Cragganmore.
1901
Cragganmore is rebuilt.
1912
Gordon Smith dies young and his widow Mary Jane takes over the running of the distillery.
1917
Production is suspended during wartime.
1919
The distillery reopens. Mrs Smith installs electric lighting powered by a Kohler petrol-driven generator.
1923
Mary Jane sells the distillery to White Horse Distillers Ltd. They rate the whisky A1.
1925
A new warehouse is erected, where 360,000 gallons of Cragganmore can be aged.
1941
The Second World War halts production due to barley shortages.
1961
The coal fired stills are converted to a mechanical stoking system.
1964
Capacity increases as the number of stills is doubled to four.
1972
All four stills are converted to steam heating from an oil fired boiler.