XXV

Caol Ila Distillery, Islay

July 14th, 1923

Nestling among huge rocks below a long line of towering cliffs, with the treacherous waters of the sound of Islay rolling up almost to its walls, lies Caol Ila, one of the most secluded and picturesquely-situated distilleries in the West Highlands of Scotland. A mile eastward, across the Sound, is the lonely island of Jura, with the two famous mountains known as “The Paps of Jura” looming out of the mist above the heather carpeted lower slopes. A little white-washed hamlet has grown up around Caol Ila, but the neighbourhood for miles in every direction is sparsely populated, and red deer, grouse, and wild fowl provide practically the only sign of life.

Over the cliff directly behind the distillery a narrow waterfall cascades merrily towards the sea, passing between the buildings. This waterfall once supplied all the water used in the process, but it now comes in pipes from Loch Torrabus at a pressure of 130 pounds to the square inch, driving two turbines and feeding the boilers.

Caol Ila was built in 1846, and came into the hands of the present proprietors, the Caol Ila Distillery Co., Ltd., three years ago. The barley is shipped from Glasgow to a large pier adjoining the premises, and transferred to the granaries in an elevator worked by water turbine. There are two steeps, each with a capacity of 1,100 bushels, and the lofts have a length of 120 feet and a breadth of 80 feet. The kilns are unusually interesting with their open furnaces burning peat in old-fashioned braziers. These braziers have almost died out, and the small Malt Mill distillery is the only other one in Islay in which they are still used.

There is a surprise in store for visitors to the maltings at Caol Ila. Entering an old malt barn, our representative was astonished to see a number of chairs and benches, and at the end of the room a small structure that resembled a simple altar. Enquiry revealed this to be the village “kirk,” where a service is held monthly. One of the distillery workers was married in the little building a few months ago. Caol Ila is probably the only distillery in the world that can boast of having a church included in its premises. The quantity of malt mashed weekly at Caol Ila is generally 2,200 bushels, the mash-tun being exceptionally large. In the adjoining tun-room are the usual wash-backs for fermentation of the wort, with switchers in each back driven by a water turbine. The conspicuous feature of the still-house is the wash-still (furnace-heated) with the enormous capacity of 6,567 gallons. This is said to be the largest still in the west of Scotland. The low-wines still, which yields the actual Spirit, is steam heated, and both stills are fitted with “mushroom” safety valves. A Green’s economiser is maintained for supplying constant hot water. To feed the economiser hot water is collected in a tank from three sources: the exhaust of the draff-drying machine, the steam still, and the steam coil in the interior of the wash-still. In this way waste is entirely prevented, and after entering the economiser at a temperature of 90 degrees, the water comes out again at 300 degrees, with a consequent saving of coal.

Perhaps the most distinctive part of the premises is the handsomely designed warehouse, erected some years ago, and of tremendous size. With four floors, each 100 yards long, the building can house no fewer than 10,500 casks, and a large square hydraulic lift provides a convenient means of moving the Whisky from one storey to another. Opposite the warehouse is a shed with accommodation for 600 tons of peat.

Caol Ila is particularly well served with mechanical power. In addition to the 15 h.p. steam engine that drives the malting and mashing machinery, there is another plant of the same size for pumping draff from the mash-tun to the drainer, and a small 8 h.p. engine for the draff- drying machine. The whole works are supplied with electric light.

Caol Ila Whisky is reputed to be among the first of the Islay Malts. The usual weekly production amounts to five thousand proof gallons.