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Clynelish & Brora Distillery

Liquid Gold

Clynelish can truly claim the title of “Liquid Gold”. The distillery draws its water from the Clynemilton burn, which was at the heart of the Scottish Gold Rush.

In 1868 Robert Nelson Gilchrist, a native of Kildonan who had spent 17 years prospecting gold in Australia, was granted permission from the Duke of Sutherland to pan for gold in the Helmsdale river and its tributaries. It was not long before he made his first find.

There were soon over 500 prospectors, many of them living in a settlement of wooden huts known as Baile an Or (Village of Gold) near the mouth of the Kildonan Burn.

This had many of the trappings of the 'Wild West', including a saloon - although it was alcohol free! The Gold Rush did not last long; the granting of licences was stopped in December 1869 after local complaints about the environmental impact of the diggings.

Permits to pan for gold are available today; indeed a couple recently found enough gold to make their wedding rings.