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Historic Dallas Dhu Distillery to Reopen
After more than a decade of work, plans are now in place to revive the long-closed Dallas Dhu Distillery in Speyside. The distillery has been operated as a museum by Historic Environment Scotland for the last three decades after it closed in 1983, and the traditional distilling equipment remains intact to this day.
Aceo Distillers Company Limited has been selected to oversee the restoration of Dallas Dhu, which will begin with reviving the distillery’s bonded warehouses, and eventually reintroduce traditional whisky production while retaining the distillery’s status as a historic site.
“The Aceo Team are thrilled to be reopening the historic Dallas Dhu Distillery,” Aceo managing director Edward Odim said in a statement. “Our vision is to make Dallas Dhu one of the leading, must-see whisky distilleries in Scotland, giving visitors a unique, close-up experience of whisky making. The aim is to breathe life back into the distillery by first getting the original equipment working and traditional whisky distilling going once again.”
The plans include a new visitor center and cooperage designed to show visitors the story of Scotch Whisky and Speyside whisky production, including the “sometimes hard social and economic history,” as Odim said in the Aceo news release. Aceo also plans to partner with local organizations to host events at the distillery and make it a hub for the Speyside community.
“Dallas Dhu offers a unique opportunity to showcase traditional distilling techniques as a living history attraction. This reopening marks a new chapter for the distillery, and we are confident it will attract visitors, while also bringing benefits to the local community and economy,” HES executive Stephen Duncan said in a news release announcing the revival. HES will continue to own the site on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Aceo is best known for its Murray McDavid whiskies, and specializes in providing services to the whisky industry including bottling, label design, cask management, and logistics.
WhiskyCast has requested interviews with Aceo and HES executives, and this story will be updated with additional information.
Image courtesy Aceo Limited.
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