The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Centre

The goal for the landscape design was to blend and conceal the new building as much as possible within the surrounding natural landscape while maximising the opportunities for species diversity and habitat creation.

Groves of berms, shrubs and swales were positioned throughout the site to mitigate noise and create an immersive atmosphere in keeping with the Scottish rural setting.

The roof features a custom blend of grasses and wildflowers, incorporating naturally occurring species to seamlessly integrate with the surrounding meadow landscape while enhancing biodiversity. Designed to counteract the decline of grassland habitats in Scotland, the green roof supports a variety of resilient grass species suited to local growth conditions and climate, enabling a small profusion of seasonal flowers in the summer.

A simple system of sunken ha-ha’s around the northern end of the building and beside the entrance cut wall allow a visual continuation of the grass species.

Gillespies developed a specialised seed mix, tested across various substrate blends to identify the most effective for growth and species diversity. After selecting the optimal substrate, test panels were installed and monitored to determine which plants thrived. Adjustments were made to the seed mix to ensure robust plant survival. The final mix was pre-grown into mats for installation on the roof.

The volume of extracted soil as part of the building excavation offered a chance for reuse in the earthworks and ground remodelling to help embed the building successfully in its immediate context.

The new distillery is situated next to The Macallan’s existing facility on the expansive 390-acre estate of Easter Elchies House. Built in 1700, this Highland manor house exemplifies classic architecture, and its estate was designed by Victorian landscape architect Thomas White Snr. in 1789. Located in a designated ‘Area of Grand Landscape Value,’ the estate is surrounded by farmland used for grazing and growing barley.

The guest experience begins upon arrival at the historic site, where Gillespies designed a choreographed approach using berms and planting to both shield and reveal views of the distillery.

This design echoes the 18th-century planning of the estate.

The entrance cut provides the set piece arrival sequence up to the front door of the new distillery, which originally presented a microcosm of the natural elements that were pertinent to the formation of The Macallan Whisky.

The barley fields beyond give way to the permanence and majesty of the existing and retained oak trees, beneath which the visitor passes, to reveal the natural stone pavement that leads to the front door. This experience captures and reveals the many natural components so integral to the process of whisky making – natural stone, timber and wood.

The processional entrance walkway, carved into the slope, re-establishes a symbolic and physical connection to the 18th-century laird’s house at the heart of the estate.

Before visitors even enter the building, the landscape creates an immersive and enchanting experience, hinting at what lies beyond. Double-height glazing within the building blurs the lines between indoors and outdoors, enhancing visitors' connection to the landscape that inspired the architecture and is essential to the whisky itself.