Visit - Lindores Abbey Distillery

Another busy week for the members of the Rotary Club of Kilrymont St Andrews, beginning with a sizeable presence at the Craigtoun Charities Fair.

Sadly the weather was against us once more for this, our second awareness-raising and public relations event, following a wet and windy day at the Highland Games two weeks ago.
The gazebos were set up, tombola and Lucky Lollies prizes laid out, but due to the weather, the crowds experienced on a sunny day at Craigtoun Park last year were not in evidence.

A few brave souls did turn up and showed great interest in our charity work. Some of them even won prizes!
Karina MacKinnon did her usual sterling work with face painting for the limited number of children who were there and all were delighted with her efforts in raising half of the day’s donations.
Although the event was to run from 10.00am until 5.00pm, like a number of other stallholders the members decided to call it a day and take a rest from the cold and wet.
Around £50 was collected in our time there and we would like to thank those members of the public who did brave the weather and assure them that their money will go into our Charity fund to help with local causes.

On Tuesday members and their families made a visit to the Lindores Abbey Distillery on the outskirts of Newburgh.

Ably informed and entertained by tour guides Audrey and Helen, all were delighted at what is clearly a top-line operation in a beautiful setting.

The Distillery, owned and run by the local McKenzie-Smith family, became operational in December last year. As per regulations, their single malt whisky will not become available for sale until three years and one day after production began.

However, they do have on sale Aqua Vitae, based on the original drink produced by the monks of Lindores Abbey as far back as the 15^thcentury. Lindores is generally regarded as the first-ever distillery in Scotland to have produced whisky in a commercial sense, at the request of the English King James IV in 1494. It was the first recorded written evidence of a Scottish working distillery.

Congratulations to the monks who began concocted the brew – all the guests were able to partake of a dram of Aqua Vitae, and very pleasant it is.

Our thanks to all the Lindores Distillery staff who are very welcoming and attentive and provided a first-class meal after our distillery tour.