A distillery with green roof

The Cairn Distillery at Grantown-on-Spey has a new look this month with the installation of its ‘green’ sedum roof – a key feature of its design.

At 900 square metres, it is one of the largest green roofs ever installed in Cairngorm National Park and was incorporated into the design to allow the building to blend into its local environment.

The green roof uses sedum – a plant which is easy to maintain and requires little water and few nutrients. It is ideal for use in green roofs as it is very resilient and can even survive drought.

The Cairn is a second distillery for renowned whisky experts Gordon & MacPhail. The family firm that owns Benromach Distillery at Forres, announced its intention to build a second distillery in 2018. Work started on site once restrictions on construction were lifted in July 2020.

The sedum roof was installed by Inverness based Wyvis Roofing. 

The Cairn Distillery, which includes a visitor experience, tasting rooms, bistro and retail space, is due to open in the summer. The distillery is expected to become a major tourist destination on the outskirts of the town and act as a gateway to Speyside.