We are now in the New Year and we thought it was a timely time to bring you a wee update on how our plans are progressing with restoring the old Castletown Mill into the home of Stannergill Whisky. Since the launch of the website early in November 2022, we have been busy packaging up lots of orders and speaking to people about their preferred type of cask. We have received so many encouraging words of support and the belief in this project is fantastic.
In September 2022 we opened our doors to offer a Hard Hat Tour to those interested in seeing the old building. Plans were afoot to host another in October, but unfortunately the weather wasn’t on our side and it had to be cancelled. We are aiming to offer these style of tours more frequently in the coming year so look for the opportunity to have a peak around the building as it currently stands.
The warehouse at the back of the mill is nearing completion and we are in the final stages of having the utilities connected. We had an exciting moment this week when a disused hydro pole in front of the mill was removed – for all the size of a pole it has made an amazing difference to the openness of the view! As you now drive through the ‘planting’ alongside Castletown Mill you may well notice something missing, as the view of the sand dunes is suddenly much clearer in focus.
Now you see it...
...now you don't!
Martin has been working very hard with our architects to be able to put the restoration project out to tender soon, with the aim for restoration to begin in earnest from April 2023. As part of the tender process we have had to really plan and discuss the interiors, which has been very exciting despite feeling like we are ahead of time considering the building still requires a roof! Our amazing interior designers have come up with fabulous concepts and designs, even creating visuals for us to view on an Oculus which meant we felt like we were standing in the actual rooms.
The still has been ordered, which was another pivotal moment! We are working with LH Stainless with support from Mabbett to ensure our distillery is a safe and efficient place to work. In the coming months we will be detailing the still shape to meet our requirements.
We are delighted to have ordered our barley for 2024! Thurdistoft Farm, which is only a few miles from the distillery, will grow the Firefoxx variety of barley and it will be malted by Bairds. It is fabulous to be able to source barley with a such a close proximity to us.
One of the most obvious aspects of the project is that the old mill building requires a new roof! If you would like to be part of this project then why not Sponsor a Roof Tile on the building? When you sponsor a roof tile we will send you a beautiful Slate Coaster, created by Norse Stone, and in time the co-ordinates of the tile on our roof – meaning when you visit the mill you can take pride in trying to spot your tile!
There are further opportunities to be involved with the restoration and support our project. Our 1818 Society offers a fabulous opportunity to invest in a Limited Edition bottle with an exclusive label designed by Lisa Poulson of Inspired by Caithness. This first release of Stannergill Whisky is a special edition and will only be sent to our 1818 Society members when it is aged 5 years old.
As we move in to 2023 we are feeling very positive about the year ahead, we know it will bring many challenges but we are super supported by a fabulous team of experts. As the current custodians of the mill we look forward to embracing these challenges and adding our chapter in to the rich history of the mill.
