Tamdhu

In 1896, three distilleries were planned for the Knockando parish: Tamdhu, Knockando, and Imperial. The driving force behind Tamdhu was William Grant, superintendent of Highland distilleries and agent for the Elgin Town and County Bank. The site was chosen beside the Knockando Burn, with its abundant spring water and pure water supply, and following local tradition, it had also been utilized by illicit distillers. Equally important was its proximity to the Strathspey Railway. William Grant quickly raised the necessary capital (£19,200) from fifteen Welsh brokers and blenders, and commissioned Charles Doig to design the distillery. Two years later, Alfred Barnard described Tamdhu as 'one of the most modern distilleries' and 'perhaps the best design of this era, while also being the most efficient distillery, showing a rigorous attitude and unique craftsmanship in its planning.' There was a specially constructed road connecting to the main highway, a dedicated railway siding, and houses built for workers and excise officers; the distillery employed twenty men, most earning one pound per week (the mashman commanded the highest wage at £1.35 per week). The distillery commenced production in mid-July 1897. Production rose steadily until 1903, then declined, halving between 1906 and 1910. The distillery closed in December 1911, reopened in 1913 and continued to flourish until 1925. With the onset of the Great Depression, it closed again in 1928, remaining shut until 1948. In 1950, Saladin malting equipment replaced the early floor malting. This equipment remains in the distillery today, though no longer in operation. In 1972, Tamdhu's capacity was doubled (to four stills), and in 1975, two more stills were added. The distillery was mothballed in 2010, sold to Ian Macleod & Co. the following year, who returned it to production in 2012, and launched the first core expression in 2013: Tamdhu 10 Year Old.

In the first few months, the distillery found that the new make spirit lacked the 'body' of other Glenfiddich-style whiskies. The manager believed it was due to the spring water used by the distillery, so he began experimenting with extracting process water from Loch an Doire, claiming this would distill a 'heavier, better spirit'. He also started using locally grown barley (most of the barley used in the first few months had been 'imported'). However, some of the distillery's partners preferred the product made with spring water.