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Parkmore

No: 134
  -   Multimap view OS Sheet 28 ; Map reference NJ 329 410 ; Latitude 57 27° N, Longitude 3 7° W
Operating Status: demolished

Location: Dufftown

Mentioned by Marshall Robb, 1951. The following exchange was extracted from the malts mailing list:

Does anyone know the exact location of Parkmore Distillery? I know it is in Speyside but I wanted the exact location. I have a book with a few pictures of it, but it doesnt say exactly where it is.

It's just outside of Dufftown, very close to Glendullan which is not far from Glenfiddich (damn, those distilleries are close up there!)

The place is, as you said, closed down. When I was there last August we didn't see a soul, but I can imagine that it is used for storage.

Thanks to Magnus Sandell for the answer - you now know as much as I do - jhb

Gleaned from the Malts mailing list:

Q: Has somebody tasted Parkmore malt? 2 years ago, I glanced at the distillery that is now only warehouses. I have a lovely sight for all these vanished distilleries (like Inverboyndie or Benachie...) and I'd like to know what sort of SM they produced. [jpc 47/3.98]

Parkmore was built in Dufftown during the whisky boom of the 1890s. It quickly fell upon hard times, and after a succession of owners eventually passed into the control of SMD in 1930. It has been silent since 1931. It is used for warehousing and bonded storage even today, and is (externally, at least) extremely well preserved. Of its whisky little or nothing remains, which is hardly surprising given that it has not distilled for well over sixty years! [ib 54/3.98]

From " The Scotch Whisky Industry Record " by H.Charles Craig.

PARKMORE, DUFFTOWN, BANFFSHIRE, NJ329410.

Built 1894 by the Parkmore Distillery Co.; taken over by James Watson & Co. Ltd, Dundee, c.1900, who were acquired by John Dewar & Sons Ltd 1923. Passed to the DCL 1925 and transferred to SMD 1930. Silent from 1931. Licensed 1940 to Daniel Crawford & Son Ltd. Now used as warehouses and stores. Externally the most perfect survivor of the late 1890s boom in distilleries. Closed 1988 and sold to Highland Distilleries PLC.

Parkmore Distillery built at Dufftown by James Watson & Co., Seagate, Dundee. The first manager was George Smith whose father had been brewer at The Glenlivet and brother had been the founder of Cragganmore Distillery, which Georges subsequently ran as trustee, the output of which was taken by James Watson & Co.

1923 May. Ord, Parkmore and Pulteney distilleries were taken over for 'something over £2m.' by the three firms - Dewar, Walker and Lowrie together with eight million gallons of stock 'one of the most important stocks of old whisky in the country' on the acquisition of the entire share capital of James Watson & Co. Ltd, of Dundee,which was then put into liquidation.

No. 1556. WATSON, JAMES, & CO., LTD., Distillers and Scotch Whisky Merchants, 97, Seagate,Dundee, 95, Bath Street,Glasgow, 92, Great Tower Street, London, E.C., Melbourne and Sydney. Proprietors of Ord Distillery, Ross-shire, and Parkmore Distillery, Dufftown. Established 1815 by James Watson. Incorporated 1896. Directors: J.J.Watson, R.L.Watson, A.K.Watson, T.Herd and C.H. Marshall [gdb 54/3.98]

A bottle was sold at Christies a few years ago. [ub 54/3.98]

Search Dr. Do'g's index for the history of Parkmore
There just might be some news about Parkmore in The "Scotsman" newspaper