Falkirk's Rosebank Distillery reborn: Historic industrial architecture is just as valuable as stately homes – Scotsman comment

A Falkirk landmark has been saved with the restoration of the Rosebank Distillery

The reborn Rosebank Distillery combines Victorian brickwork with modern architecture (Picture: Michael Gillen)

The Rosebank distillery’s 108ft chimney has been a landmark in Falkirk since the 1860s. But when it closed in 1993 amid a slump in global whisky sales, this historic piece of industrial architecture could have been lost for good.

However, the whisky revival has now seen Ian Macleod Distillers rebuild the site with three new copper stills built to the same dimensions as the originals, which were stolen while the site lay derelict. The revamped building combines modern architecture like a glass-fronted stillhouse with Victorian brickwork and maintains the towering chimney.

The distillery is set to open to the public later this year, taking advantage of the interest in whisky tourism. And with a tale that goes back to 1840 and includes its more recent fall and rise, there is a story to tell.

Industrial architecture is sometimes seen as less important than stately homes with grand columns. But its place in Scottish history is just as valuable. Finding ways to preserve it, while living with the realities of the modern world, is a task that future generations will thank us for performing.