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tenabowla
04-Feb-07, 13:28
Looking at an old map of Thurso from around 1870s, there is a Wolfburn Distillery to the west of what was Ormlie farm. Anyone know anything about this, I was unaware of a Thurso distillery?

Lavenderblue2
04-Feb-07, 13:43
That is very interesting tenabowla - I know nothing of the distillery but someone must know because there's a Wolfeburn Road on the East Gills housing estate.
Having said that, I wonder if the street is so named because the burn/stream that runs in that area is maybe called Wolfeburn.

LB

robbain
04-Feb-07, 13:44
Looking at an old map of Thurso from around 1870s, there is a Wolfburn Distillery to the west of what was Ormlie farm. Anyone know anything about this, I was unaware of a Thurso distillery?

Tenabowla
I had a relative a David Steven who was a distillery manager living at wolfburn in 1841 and 1851 and moved in between 1851 - 1861 to work in Edinburgh.
Robbain

tenabowla
04-Feb-07, 13:51
The wolfburn itself begins somewhere around where High ormlie is now and heads in the direction of Gills/burnside.

tenabowla
04-Feb-07, 14:01
Robbain

Did the census show your relative living at/near the distillery as well as employed there? Maybe I might have a look on freecen in the general ormlie location.

lab
04-Feb-07, 14:03
Hi if you walk on to the moors using the path beside the gym in naver fields you will come to a streem. This is the wolfburn , if you look closley both sides of the streem there are still ruins of the distilery that can be clearly seen. as well as a couple of clearance houses.

tenabowla
04-Feb-07, 17:57
Lab

Thanks for the information, I have walked along that way before but never actually noticed any ruins. Do you know when the distillery closed down and what the product from the distillery was.

T

robbain
04-Feb-07, 18:39
Robbain

Did the census show your relative living at/near the distillery as well as employed there? Maybe I might have a look on freecen in the general ormlie location.


He was living at Wolfburn. I presume he left when the distillery was shut, only guessing this was the reason he moved to Edinburgh to work in the breweries in Edinburgh between 1851 - 1861 His sister Margaret married into a family of Mansons also living at Wolfburn

highlander
04-Feb-07, 19:25
It was founded in 1821 by William Smith, closed in 1852 was made for home consumption only, I will look up in my caithness books to see if i can find any more info, there was many distillerys in caithness, baillie, brabster, brawlbin,clayock, clyth, gerston, hempriggs, murkle, thurso, stemster, forss, todholes, bowertower, john'O groats, geise.

tenabowla
04-Feb-07, 19:39
Was that the same William Smith of Pennyland who was involved in the instigation of the Boys Brigade. It seems by the locations of the other distilleries that a supply of grain locally was available, they seem to be mailny farming areas.

T

tenabowla
03-Mar-07, 14:24
Hi if you walk on to the moors using the path beside the gym in naver fields you will come to a streem. This is the wolfburn , if you look closley both sides of the streem there are still ruins of the distilery that can be clearly seen. as well as a couple of clearance houses.

Took a wonder along there today, there is not a lot left to see now, I assume that the vertical flagstone surrounds close to the end of the moors on the BT end is all that is left to see.

bky
03-Mar-07, 20:27
there is a map in the Thurso Club that dates back to long time ago (sorry canna mind) but there were 3 bowling greens in the town plus the street names are totally different from todays - no kidding folks its worth going in to look at the map

bothyman
03-Mar-07, 21:14
Try this

>> http://www.old-maps.co.uk/

Put in "Thurso" and it shows the Distillery at Wolfsburn.

Hope this helps

tenabowla
04-Mar-07, 13:39
Bothyman

Yes, that is actually where I originally found it and became interested, its not so easy to get the bearings with so few distiguishing marks on the old map.

bothyman
04-Mar-07, 13:59
Bothyman

Yes, that is actually where I originally found it and became interested, its not so easy to get the bearings with so few distiguishing marks on the old map.

Just a Thought, but have you tried finding it by using the Grid Reference on the top righthand corner??

How much has this spot changed since the distillry was there??

I have used this Map site several times and tried looking for things on it so I know its not easy, but it is interesting trying to find them.
Even if you can't find any trace at all.:roll:

Rheghead
04-Mar-07, 14:33
How much would you realistically pay for an unopened bottle of Wolfburn Whisky or how much would one go for at auction?

Bids please?:)

Metalattakk
04-Mar-07, 15:09
Just a Thought, but have you tried finding it by using the Grid Reference on the top righthand corner??

How much has this spot changed since the distillry was there??



It looks to me like this spot hasn't changed much at all. The footpath that comes out the side of West Ormelie and leads up to the Distillery itself is exactly the same path which exists there today.

The ruins of a rectangular house can be found on this path just before the bridge over the burn, it's maybe not noticeable but it's there - I remember it well from my childhood (which wisna that long ago)!

I'm sorely tempted to go up for another look.

tenabowla
05-Mar-07, 13:52
So was West Ormlie generally around where the old sea scout hall was, and is the path to the left of the gym the path referred to.

I'm not sure that the bridge still exists over the burn, or maybe I followed the wrong path. Its still a bit overgrown being early in the year and not heavily walked on recently.

Metalattakk
05-Mar-07, 15:02
Well I originally thought West Ormelie was where Naver House is now. Although there's something not quite right about that map - maybe distances are wrong or maybe it's not strictly to scale. West Ormelie looks to be too close to Castlegreen Manse (now Bill Arif's house).

Maybe it's my own sense of distance that's skewed though... ;)

However, having looked at the map yet again, I'd now say the site of West Ormelie is round about where Fulmar/Howburn Road is now, and the current Naver Field (and Naver House) is on the field where the words "West Ormelie" are printed on the map.

Hope that makes some kind of sense... :D

As far as I remember the bridge over the burn is now down - it was only ever two slabs of stone covered in what looked like railway sleepers anyway - we often played around there when we were kids.

The path to the left of the gym is the very one printed on this map - there's now a gate at the start of the path, I believe.

Dammit, I'm going to have to get up there and see for myself, now...

tenabowla
06-Mar-07, 19:46
Its still a bit wet and boggy up there but was pleasant last weekend, maybe I will wander further up stream on the next decent day.

webmannie
06-Mar-07, 20:21
It's downstream you need to go tenabowla, down to the bottom corner, there used to be an old doorway into the next field, not sure if it is still there. Must have been a remnant of the distillery.

The gate is long gone Metalattakk, it has changed a lot since you and I were up there as kids.

tenabowla
08-Mar-07, 13:44
Webmannie

Ah well, I must have been at the right area, its just before the burn straightens out and runs parallel to the fence all the way down to the BT buildings. Just about that point there is what appears to have been a sustantial bridge though it is all heavily grassed over now but on the downstream side of the bridge you can see the remains of the wooden support structure. Itseeems likely it may have been for some reason part of the old distillery function.

T

webmannie
08-Mar-07, 20:20
dependent on the weather i'm going up a look again at the weekend

Sporran
09-Mar-07, 07:10
Looking at an old map of Thurso from around 1870s, there is a Wolfburn Distillery to the west of what was Ormlie farm. Anyone know anything about this, I was unaware of a Thurso distillery?




Hi if you walk on to the moors using the path beside the gym in naver fields you will come to a streem. This is the wolfburn , if you look closley both sides of the streem there are still ruins of the distilery that can be clearly seen. as well as a couple of clearance houses.




It looks to me like this spot hasn't changed much at all. The footpath that comes out the side of West Ormelie and leads up to the Distillery itself is exactly the same path which exists there today.

The ruins of a rectangular house can be found on this path just before the bridge over the burn, it's maybe not noticeable but it's there - I remember it well from my childhood (which wisna that long ago)!

I'm sorely tempted to go up for another look.

This is all very fascinating stuff! :D Even though I was brought up in Thurso, and lived there till my early 20s, I'd never heard of the Wolfburn Distillery till I read this thread. I grew up in a house at the top side of Rockwell Crescent, in the Pennyland housing estate. My brothers used to wander up to the moors when they were kids, taking a shortcut across the field behind our house. What they called "the stream" must have been the Wolfburn. I looked at my "Old Thurso" book by Donald Grant today, and see no mention of the Wolfburn Distillery there, surprisingly enough. I think I might have figured out where it was, though, from looking at Thurso on the Old Maps link, and the aerial photographic map on Microsoft Live Search:

http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ (http://www.old-maps.co.uk/)

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=58.606045~-3.686401&style=h&lvl=16 (http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=58.606045~-3.686401&style=h&lvl=16) (You might still need to type in Thurso, Scotland, when that page opens up.)

The field where the Wolfburn Distillery was on the Old Map from the 1800s is the exact same shape as the field just beyond Naver House and John Kennedy Drive, as pictured in the Live Search map. The field next to it also appears to be the same shape on both maps. So I reckon the distillery was behind the top side of Pennyland Drive, near the old Sea Scout hut and Naver House.

Metalattakk
09-Mar-07, 13:30
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=58.591211~-3.542023&style=h&lvl=17&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&sp=Point.tryq4cgq445v_Wolfburn%20Distillery___

I hope this works! LOL! Now the area that I've marked (pinned?) is just the general area concerned.

You're right, the two fields you mentioned are exactly the same shape as the ones in the old map.

Got to admit, I'm fascinated by this stuff too. :D

tenabowla
09-Mar-07, 21:16
Sporran/Metalattakk

Got a look at the live search on this and the old map which I started out with at the start of the thread, pretty amazing advance in the old technology from when the map was hand sketched but accuracy is pretty good eh.

Hope there is not too big a rush onto the moors this weekend, I certainly plan another wander up with the map in hand soon if the weather is fair.

T

Sporran
10-Mar-07, 02:27
It was founded in 1821 by William Smith, closed in 1852 was made for home consumption only, I will look up in my caithness books to see if i can find any more info, there was many distillerys in caithness, baillie, brabster, brawlbin,clayock, clyth, gerston, hempriggs, murkle, thurso, stemster, forss, todholes, bowertower, john'O groats, geise.

I do hope you find more info for us in your Caithness books, highlander! :) I had absolutely no idea there were so many Caithness distilleries at one time!




It looks to me like this spot hasn't changed much at all. The footpath that comes out the side of West Ormelie and leads up to the Distillery itself is exactly the same path which exists there today.

The ruins of a rectangular house can be found on this path just before the bridge over the burn, it's maybe not noticeable but it's there - I remember it well from my childhood (which wisna that long ago)!

I'm sorely tempted to go up for another look.




http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=58.591211~-3.542023&style=h&lvl=17&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&sp=Point.tryq4cgq445v_Wolfburn%20Distillery___

I hope this works! LOL! Now the area that I've marked (pinned?) is just the general area concerned.

You're right, the two fields you mentioned are exactly the same shape as the ones in the old map.

Got to admit, I'm fascinated by this stuff too. :D

Metalattakk, do the ruins of the house you mentioned stand in the area that you pin marked?




Sporran/Metalattakk

Got a look at the live search on this and the old map which I started out with at the start of the thread, pretty amazing advance in the old technology from when the map was hand sketched but accuracy is pretty good eh.

Hope there is not too big a rush onto the moors this weekend, I certainly plan another wander up with the map in hand soon if the weather is fair.

T

Tenabowla, now that would be a novel way to meet up with fellow Orgers for the first time, lol! You'd spot each other easily if you were all wandering around the moors with map in hand, lol!

Metalattakk
10-Mar-07, 03:42
Metalattakk, do the ruins of the house you mentioned stand in the area that you pin marked?

Nope, as I said that was just a marker. The building I was talking about is directly across the burn from the pin-mark-thingy, the path towards the bridge winds its way around its corner. On the Live Search map, the outline of the building is quite clear.

Going up there tomorrow (Saturday) for a look, I'm up that part of town anyway. If I see any of you wandering about looking non-plussed, I'll keep my map in my pocket and start whistling for ma dog (that I don't have). :D

webmannie
11-Mar-07, 19:01
Was up this afternoon, the building ruins are visible, they are right at the side of the path, left hand side on the way down, just before the stream crossing.

I don't know how i've never noticed it before.

Metalattakk
11-Mar-07, 20:55
Sadly I didn't make it up yesterday - events, ...er, 'overtook' me somewhat.... :D

The building ruins are just before the bridge over the stream - the path makes its way around the right-hand corner of the building.

I will be making a sojourn up there in the next few days, as I'm interested too in the gateway downstream that you previously mentioned, webmannie.

Surprised there are no pictures to post, though....;)

webmannie
11-Mar-07, 21:30
Never thought Metalattakk, just took pix of J, splashing through the countless mud pools, she even lost her welly boot at one point. The swamp monster had got a hold of it ;) . She was gutters to the eyeballs, straight into the bath when we got in!


If you are going up wellies are definitely required!

Sporran
12-Mar-07, 02:36
Was up this afternoon, the building ruins are visible, they are right at the side of the path, left hand side on the way down, just before the stream crossing.

I don't know how i've never noticed it before.




Sadly I didn't make it up yesterday - events, ...er, 'overtook' me somewhat.... :D

The building ruins are just before the bridge over the stream - the path makes its way around the right-hand corner of the building.

I will be making a sojourn up there in the next few days, as I'm interested too in the gateway downstream that you previously mentioned, webmannie.

Surprised there are no pictures to post, though....;)

I hope that one of you two guys (or anyone else) will take photos next time you're up to the moors, and post them here. I'd love to see pics of the building ruins!

Take a look at this fabulous photo that Isis posted on the Photography Forum last year (post # 737). He took it from the Thurso Moors, looking out to Thurso Bay, with a very clear silhouette of Hoy in the background. Does anybody know if this was taken from the vicinity of the former Wolfburn Distillery?

http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?t=7469&page=37

Metalattakk
12-Mar-07, 03:20
Nah, that's taken from much further down, towards Burnside. I don't think you can see Orkney from the distillery site - the Pennyland housing scheme gets in the way.

I'll certainly take some pics and post them here when I do eventually get up there (it'll likely be in the next couple of days - unforeseen circumstances/lame excuses apart)!

Webmannie's post earlier has consolidated my opinions somewhat, concerning the position of the distillery itself. It's always nice to get one over him, y'know? [lol]

Sporran
12-Mar-07, 05:24
I hope that one of you two guys (or anyone else) will take photos next time you're up to the moors, and post them here. I'd love to see pics of the building ruins!

Take a look at this fabulous photo that Isis posted on the Photography Forum last year (post # 737). He took it from the Thurso Moors, looking out to Thurso Bay, with a very clear silhouette of Hoy in the background. Does anybody know if this was taken from the vicinity of the former Wolfburn Distillery?

http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?t=7469&page=37




Nah, that's taken from much further down, towards Burnside. I don't think you can see Orkney from the distillery site - the Pennyland housing scheme gets in the way.

I'll certainly take some pics and post them here when I do eventually get up there (it'll likely be in the next couple of days - unforeseen circumstances/lame excuses apart)!

Webmannie's post earlier has consolidated my opinions somewhat, concerning the position of the distillery itself. It's always nice to get one over him, y'know? [lol]

I don't think Isis' pic was taken from much further down, towards Burnside. I believe the row of houses silhouetted against the sea are those on the upper side of Rockwell Crescent and Pennyland Drive. The large cluster of houses directly below Holborn Head (as they appear in the photo) would be Upper Burnside and Burnside, I reckon. Maybe this photo was taken further into the moors, from a higher point. Nearer Dunbar Hospital, perhaps? I must PM Isis to find out!

tenabowla
12-Mar-07, 14:06
Looks like its even wetter now than it was a couple of weeks ago up there. Looks like a waders job at the moment.

lab
12-Mar-07, 14:29
this picture isway at the top of the hill bach of high ormlie only no this as the fence post is where i sit watchin my dogs. Just wondered if anyone realises that the site of wolfburn and the clearance houses is where the new estate is supposed to be built. Its a shame that so much history will be burried

Metalattakk
12-Mar-07, 16:07
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f362/belabed2/Image22421.jpg

Aye, I believe you are both right.

(I hope Isis doesn't mind me hot-linking their pic. :eek: I'll remove it if anyone doesn't think it should be here.)

Hard to believe this area will be built upon - is it not too boggy now to support heavy structures like housing?

Sporran
12-Mar-07, 19:51
Looks like its even wetter now than it was a couple of weeks ago up there. Looks like a waders job at the moment.

Probably better to wait till it dries up a bit then, before going back up to the moors. I remember when my brothers went up there as kids, they usually had their wellies on! They used to bring tadpoles back in a jar. I think they got them from a pond up there.




this picture isway at the top of the hill bach of high ormlie only no this as the fence post is where i sit watchin my dogs. Just wondered if anyone realises that the site of wolfburn and the clearance houses is where the new estate is supposed to be built. Its a shame that so much history will be burried

I just heard from a former Thurso neighbour today about the proposed new housing estate, and that they plan to start building by the end of the year. It's supposed to go all the way from (High) Ormlie to BT. I agree it's a shame that so much history will be buried! :-( Presumably, the fields directly behind Pennyland Drive and Rockwell Crescent will accomodate some of these new houses. I think that's a pity too! I liked growing up with fields right behind my house in Rockwell Crescent, often with cows or sheep in them. I especially loved taking a peek over our garden wall in the Spring, to see the newborn lambs! :-)


http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f362/belabed2/Image22421.jpg

Aye, I believe you are both right.

(I hope Isis doesn't mind me hot-linking their pic. :eek: I'll remove it if anyone doesn't think it should be here.)

Hard to believe this area will be built upon - is it not too boggy now to support heavy structures like housing?

Hmmm, you have a good point there, Metalattakk! Perhaps they can drain some of the water out, before they start building. I don't know how much of a possibility that is, though!

webmannie
12-Mar-07, 23:20
I Don't believe they are going to build on the moors per se, just all around. The bypass that has been frequently mentioned goes through the moors and along the edge of the new Gunn builds down to Scrabster

I've marked up a Microsoft Live Map.
http://maps.live.com/?v=2&cid=E68FFD72074DDE2C!101 (http://maps.live.com/?v=2&cid=E68FFD72074DDE2C!101)

Moby
13-Mar-07, 00:36
This linkwill show you what is on the Local Plan for this area

http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9D0B3131-7614-4578-BAB7-63A15A7499D0/0/thurso.pdf

The actual outline plans submitted and approved on 2nd October can be viewed at the local Council Offices

Metalattakk
13-Mar-07, 02:32
http://img482.imageshack.us/img482/4814/clipboard01cf5.jpg

This image - taken from the .pdf you just linked to, Moby - shows the planned development areas.

Nice to see that the moors area is planned to be developed in an appropriate manner, rather than just bulldozed and forgotten about.

Sporran
13-Mar-07, 14:43
I Don't believe they are going to build on the moors per se, just all around. The bypass that has been frequently mentioned goes through the moors and along the edge of the new Gunn builds down to Scrabster

I've marked up a Microsoft Live Map.
http://maps.live.com/?v=2&cid=E68FFD72074DDE2C!101 (http://maps.live.com/?v=2&cid=E68FFD72074DDE2C!101)




This linkwill show you what is on the Local Plan for this area

http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9D0B3131-7614-4578-BAB7-63A15A7499D0/0/thurso.pdf

The actual outline plans submitted and approved on 2nd October can be viewed at the local Council Offices




Nice to see that the moors area is planned to be developed in an appropriate manner, rather than just bulldozed and forgotten about.

Thanks for all that info, webmannie and Moby, and I agree with you, Metalattakk.

sbest9154
14-Apr-07, 02:39
This is my maiden voyage on this forum, having only joined yesterday!
Wolfburn is my Manson ancestor's home and yes, there was a distillery there as far as our family stories indicate.
My sister was there last year (we are in Canada) and took some great pictures of the ruins.
I am not sure how posting of pictures is done, but if any of you want to let me know, I will be happy to share.
I am very interested in the post about the person who married into the Mansons! Please give me more information and I am happy to reciprocate.

Bill Fernie
14-Apr-07, 08:31
If you would care to email the photos of the distillery I will set them up in a gallery here on the web site and linked to approriate sections and this thread.

email photos to bill@caithness.org

Bill Fernie

tenabowla
15-Apr-07, 13:09
This is my maiden voyage on this forum, having only joined yesterday!
Wolfburn is my Manson ancestor's home and yes, there was a distillery there as far as our family stories indicate.
My sister was there last year (we are in Canada) and took some great pictures of the ruins.
I am not sure how posting of pictures is done, but if any of you want to let me know, I will be happy to share.
I am very interested in the post about the person who married into the Mansons! Please give me more information and I am happy to reciprocate.

Any pictures or info on the distillery would be very interesting Sbest, quite a lot of info has been uncovered since I began this thread.

Cheers

Sporran
15-Apr-07, 15:16
I echo tenabowla's sentiments, and I think it's great that Bill Fernie has offered to set the photos up in a gallery. I would love to see them, sbest9154! :)

Sporran
25-Apr-07, 16:47
This is my maiden voyage on this forum, having only joined yesterday!
Wolfburn is my Manson ancestor's home and yes, there was a distillery there as far as our family stories indicate.
My sister was there last year (we are in Canada) and took some great pictures of the ruins.
I am not sure how posting of pictures is done, but if any of you want to let me know, I will be happy to share.
I am very interested in the post about the person who married into the Mansons! Please give me more information and I am happy to reciprocate.




If you would care to email the photos of the distillery I will set them up in a gallery here on the web site and linked to approriate sections and this thread.

email photos to bill@caithness.org

Bill Fernie

I hope the photos will be appearing soon! I am very much looking forward to seeing them, as I'm sure quite a number of people are! :)

Welcome to the forum, sbest9154! :D

sbest9154
25-Apr-07, 19:20
I sent them in four e-mails to Bill Fernie. I think you already know that they are just the "footprints" of the buildings. It would be wonderful if there were old postcards or pictures of the original buildings. Certainly I never remember seeing any in our family artifacts. They were too poor to have any photos taken, methinks. (until John Manson went to the California gold rush and did quite well!)

sbest9154
25-Apr-07, 23:28
Have you seen the information on the Royal Commission website about Wolfburn? It is very sketchy, but has some references and dates.
http://lmid1.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.details_gis?inumlink=90949
You may have to register (free) before you can view this site.

tenabowla
26-Apr-07, 12:29
If you would care to email the photos of the distillery I will set them up in a gallery here on the web site and linked to approriate sections and this thread.

email photos to bill@caithness.org

Bill Fernie

Is anyone aware of whether this gallery is in existence yet or under construction?

Dara Hope
01-Sep-10, 12:08
Tenabowla
I had a relative a David Steven who was a distillery manager living at wolfburn in 1841 and 1851 and moved in between 1851 - 1861 to work in Edinburgh.
Robbain

Hi Robbain, I am tracing my husbands family tree and I believe you two might be very distant cousins of some sort. I think that your David Steven was the father of George Steven who is our ancestor. I have George on the 1851 Scotland Census living in Thurso with his siblings (10 in total) and parents David and Janet. On the census it lists David as being a Sperative Distiller. I know also that George died in Edinburgh. Who of the siblings is your ancestor :)

robbain
01-Sep-10, 19:43
Hi Robbain, I am tracing my husbands family tree and I believe you two might be very distant cousins of some sort. I think that your David Steven was the father of George Steven who is our ancestor. I have George on the 1851 Scotland Census living in Thurso with his siblings (10 in total) and parents David and Janet. On the census it lists David as being a Sperative Distiller. I know also that George died in Edinburgh. Who of the siblings is your ancestor :)

Hi Dara, David was my 4th Great Granduncle, he was son of Alexander Steven & Isobell (Isabella) Gunn, I from David's sister Margaret, drop me an email robert@eilrobcatz2.freeserve.co.uk

Robert

robbain
05-Sep-10, 07:36
Hi Dara, David was my 4th Great Granduncle, he was son of Alexander Steven & Isobell (Isabella) Gunn, I from David's sister Margaret, drop me an email robert@eilrobcatz2.freeserve.co.uk

Robert

Dara can you contact me at the email address provided

LMS
05-Sep-10, 08:55
What is planned for the bypass etc. now? Surely the houses aren't required? Thurso is quite busy at some times of the day but not that bad.

I never saw this thread the first time around but am delighted to read it now. I have walked there many times and had absolutely no idea about the distillery.