Rosebank Distillery

Established in 1840, Rosebank was known as the ‘King of the Lowlands’ for its high-quality triple-distilled whisky. However, recessions, reduction in whisky consumption, two world wars, and soaring maintenance costs all took their toll. When the business eventually closed in 1993 the distillery was abandoned and fell into disrepair.
Acquiring the dilapidated site in 2017, MacLeod Distillers had the vision of reviving the iconic Rosebank brand and restoring its former home.
Located between the Forth and Clyde canal and a busy A road, restoring the crumbling distillery buildings presented numerous constraints and challenges.
Around half of the site contained listed warehouse buildings whilst others were beyond repair. A blend of new and old was required to balance building preservation with modern building regulations.
A further consideration was ensuring the commercial viability of the new distillery. Since new whisky needs time to mature, creating an experiential hospitality destination was key to the success of the project. In addition to the working distillery the design required a visitor centre, academy, retail units, offices, and staff rooms.

MLA were appointed to transform the Rosebank site into a distillery fit for the 21st century and beyond.

A series of in-depth workshops and community engagement developed the brief and the company’s vision for the brand. It also identified the operational constraints and the commercial expectations of the project. Harnessing the wealth of knowledge across their operating distilleries was essential to lead the multi–faceted design team towards a collaborative single narrative.

Advanced BIM (Building Information Modelling) helped to secure the planning permission required. The software generated many visualisations and alleviated variations during the design development. Providing an essential collaborative tool for the build team, it also flagged potential health and safety issues for visitors to an industrial setting.

Honouring the heritage of the building, preservation and re-use were prioritised where possible. The malt store was restored with the stone remains of an earlier distillery malting from 1798-1817. Re-furbished and re-used original timber flooring was treated and re-used wherever possible. And along with re-purposed old beams, they create a dramatic entrance to the warehouse and a striking backdrop to The Tasting Bar.

A local landmark, the 108ft famed chimney was restored and repaired. A traditional ‘dunnage’ warehouse, which ensures top-notch air circulation, was built from the bricks of the original. The original mill, dating back 103 years, has been retained and will continue to be used in the whisky production process.

The former lock keeper’s cottage, classed as a ‘Scheduled Ancient Monument’, was restored with guidance from Historic Scotland. Also on the canal-side, Victorian, red, brickwork buildings make up part of the all-important visitor centre, home to six tasting rooms.

Showcasing the three stunning pot stills, a full height glass frontage invites passers-by into the heart of the whisky-making process. Because whisky distillation involves high levels of heat, recirculation and re-use of heat has been designed into the build. And encouraging natural ventilation, the black zinc clad ‘sawtooth’ roof uses automated openings to manage heat released from the stills.

Compared to the disjointed original, the design of the new site facilitates linear production, improving efficiencies and safety.

The development of the Rosebank Distillery secures a long-term future for the site and restores landmark buildings for a new era in whisky production.

Opening to the public in June 2024, its hoped that the distillery will welcome up to 50,000 visitors per year and enhance the local tourism offer considerably. New jobs have been created in distilling, retail and tourism with further seasonal roles as required. The distillery is on track to achieve the one million litres in production and there has been huge interest in the revival of the brand.

Work continues to improve the surrounding landscape, creating an attractive outdoor space for visitors and the community. The external area located between the visitor centre and the canal has been designated for community events including pop-up, artisan food markets. The adjacent newly grassed areas have been designated as a wildflower area to improve biodiversity.

Malcolm Rennie, distillery manager at Rosebank, said: “The process of bringing Rosebank Distillery back to life has been meticulous, with a huge amount of detail going into each element. It was very important that we paid homage to Rosebank’s history and story, and we feel we’ve done it justice by incorporating so much of the former distillery into our new home.”

Reflecting the historical context, the finished design blends the past with the future to stunning effect. A combination of artistic vision and engineering endeavour, the result is a testament to the passion and dedication of everyone involved.