GIA & friends visit to Rosebank Distillery, Falkirk
Join the Glasgow Institute of Architects for an exclusive tour of Rosebank Distillery in Falkirk.
Established in 1840, Rosebank was known as the ‘King of the Lowlands’ but when the business closed in 1993 the distillery fell into disrepair.
When Ian MacLeod distillers acquired it in 2017, around half the site contained listed warehouse buildings but others were beyond repair.
With passion and perseverance, a dedicated collaborative team worked to restore the building as a working distillery and visitor attraction. The restoration has secured new jobs in distilling, retail and tourism and supports local suppliers.
Opening in June 2024 it’s expected to welcome up to 50,000 visitors per year, significantly enhancing the local tourism offer.
Founded in 1933 and purchased by the Russell Family in 1963, Ian MacLeod Distillers is a family run business. Today they have a portfolio of premium Scotch whisky, gin, and rum brands including Glengoyne, Tamdhu and Edinburgh Gin.
In 2017 Ian MacLeod Distillers rescued the dilapidated site of Rosebank Distillery in Falkirk. Preserving as much as possible of the old distillery with its Victorian red brick and towering chimney stack as possible was their priority.
A blend of old and new was required to balance building preservation with modern building regulations. And as a working distillery, ensuring an efficient manufacturing process following the traditional process had to be at the heart of the design.
Ensuring the commercial viability of the new distillery was an additional and important requirement. Since new whisky needs time to mature, creating an experiential hospitality destination was key to the success of the project. In addition, the site required a visitor centre, academy, retail units, offices, and staff rooms.
GIA Awards 2024 Judge Comment: 'Stepping inside this project is a marvel and the architects are to be congratulated for meeting a complicated brief and objective with gusto. The limited palette of materials works extremely well throughout and is very well detailed. The insertion of the new architecture into the existing site & incorporation of materials & sensitive approach to the restoration of key elements from the original distillery.....'
Tickets via Eventbrite:
GIA & friends visit to Rosebank Distillery, Falkirk Tickets, Fri 13 Jun 2025 at 16:00 | Eventbrite