Rebuilding Diary

This was quite an exciting day because it was the first occasion that the entire project team had met since the pre-start meeting held in late May.

Scaffolding had been erected around the Bonded Warehouse, Maltings and the magnificent Charles Doig Malt Kiln. Scaling to the top of the Kiln scaffold afforded magnificent views of the Annandale countryside.

Most of the roofing had been stripped from the East Bonded Warehouse, exposing the full extent of timber rot. Unfortunately, the north-facing 'piend' (pointed top end of the gable wall) has deteriorated badly due to water ingression and damage by ivy roots. This part of the structure needs to be dismantled carefully and then re-built by Kirkwood's stone masons. The roof of the West Bonded Warehouse was in marginally better condition so most of the original roof trusses can be saved and repaired in situ.

The roofing contractors were in the process of stripping the Maltings roof. It's difficult to assess the condition of the roof until it's stripped bare but it seems to be fairly rotten.

Plans for the new subterranean 'Filling Shed' and Boiler House were prepared by John Addison (Structural Engineer) and Fiona Sinclair (Architect). Malcolm Rennie played an important role in making sure that these are integrated appropriately into the distillery process. These plans need to be submitted for Planning Consent and must be approved by Building Control (both via Dumfries & Galloway Council). We hope that this will be straightforward!

Needless to say, the Architect and Clerk of Works (Billy Boyle) visit the distillery several times per week to give direction, check progress and approve completed work. Technical meetings are held every two weeks. The next full project meeting is scheduled for 29 August.