The Allt Dour Burn trickles its way down through the hills surrounding Pitlochry to the site of the Blair Atholl distillery. The stream takes its name from the Gaelic meaning “Burn of the Otter” and rises just north of Pitlochry on the slopes of Ben Vrackie at the gateway to the Scottish Highlands.
In 1798 John Stewart and Robert Robertson opened their distillery on the banks of this sparkling fresh water burn about ¾ mile south of the beautiful village of Pitlochry. A picturesque group of stone buildings sprang up on the site and with time became covered in a spectacular Virginia creeper and the black fungus which indicates the presence of whisky. Due to the very high excise duties of the time the first distillery could not compete with the illegal highland distillers and went out of business. It reopened its doors in 1826 under the guidance of John Robertson and Alexander Conacher. Under a new tax regime the distillery flourished producing 60.000 gallons of quality highland malt in 1886.
Today the distillery is part of the Diageo group and opens its historic doors to visitors from around the world. Knowledgable staff provide tastings in the historic visitor centre and an informative tour will take you into the heart of the distillery, the Still Room.