Bassett-Lowke’s distillery models

The phrase ‘model distillery’ is often used to refer to a distillery which the industry considers a prime example of a working distillery. Strathisla is one which comes to mind. But the subjects of this article are ‘model distilleries’ of a very different kind and different scale. I’m of course talking about the distillery models at Glenkinchie and the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre in Edinburgh. These two magnificent distillery models have more in common than simply being models of a whisky distillery, both have been built by the same famous model-building company: Bassett-Lowke.

Bassett-Lowke (established in 1899 in Northampton) is among Europe’s best-known model companies. They are most famous for their model locomotives, trains and railways, but also designed and built ships, airplanes, industrial models and much more. Bassett-Lowke was heavily involved in the 1924-25 British Empire Exhibition in Wembley, receiving commissions to build displays for, among others, the White Star Line, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., the Canadian Pacific Railways, the harbour of Durban, the Cardiff Docks, the Horniman & Co.’s Tea Plantation, the Salt Union Ltd., the Chloride Electrical Co., the Boots Pure Drug Co., and the Scottish Malt Distillers (formed in 1914 through an amalgamation of five Lowland distilleries: St Magdalene, Glenkinchie, Rosebank, Clydesdale and Grange). For the SMD, they were asked to build a 1:6 scale model of a typical modern whisky distillery to illustrate the processes involved in whisky production. The model, measuring roughly 15 by 2.5 meters, was designed by James Risk, SMD’s general works manager, with assistance from George Cruikshank of St Magdalene distillery.

After the Exhibition closed, the model went on loan to the Science Museum in London, where it was displayed from 1926 to 1948 and then put into storage. Because it was considered a ‘working model’ it was twice yearly checked by Customs & Excise to make sure it hadn’t been adapted to actual distilling. In 1963 the model was returned to DCL (the parent company of SMD) and stored, dismantled, in a barley loft at Mortlach distillery. Here it lay forgotten until discovered in 1974 by Alistair Munro, the manager of Glenkinchie distillery. Considering it an excellent piece for the museum which had been erected in Glenkinchie’s floor maltings, he set about reconstructing the model. It took him three months to work out exactly how the hundreds and hundreds of pieces fitted together and then another two years to refurbish, repaint and repair the model. In June 1976, the reconstruction was complete and the model went on display at Glenkinchie. Strange enough, besides in the DCL Gazette of that year and some promotional material, no pictures of the model appear to have been published in mainstream whisky literature; until now, that is!

In the late 1950s, Bassett-Lowke was commissioned to build two models of Tormore distillery. A small model was a simple architectural model of the building set in terrain, but a much larger model had to show, with some animation, the process of whisky production from the intake of the barley through to coopering and maturation. Transparent tubing, through which water with chains of bubbles was pumped, connected all the units. The pumping system also allowed a ‘burn’ to flow from which the model Tormore ‘obtained’ its water. The front and rear walls of the model were lowered at regular intervals so both the outside and inside of the distillery could be seen. The Tormore model went on public display in the US for a long time, getting much publicity. Exactly when it returned to Scotland is not clear, but it was discovered in storage in a Long John warehouse in Glasgow in the mid 1980s and installed at the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre in Edinburgh for its opening in May 1988.

If you ever get a chance to see one of these unique and fascinating models, make sure you grab that chance. With one approaching half a century, and the other almost 80 y.o., they look as marvelous as when they were first built!

Pictures of the ‘Glenkinchie’ model courtesy of Diageo; a big thank you to Christine Jones (at the Diageo Archive) and Nick Morgan for their help in getting these pictures and details on the history of the model. Picture of the Tormore model courtesy of the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre with another big thank you to Julie Hunter.

© 2003 Alex Kraaijeveld