THE Cambus Distillery was opened around 1806 by John Moubray, with the land purchased in 1823. On the site had been an old mill which was converted to house the new venture.

The distillery produced Lowland malt whisky in pot stills up to 1836 when it was transferred to grain whisky production with the spirit made in Stein stills.

In 1842, James took over from his father and a year later the business was passed to his grandson Robert.

Production increased in the 1850s thanks to the installation of Coffey stills which produced a smooth grain spirit. Also known as continuous stills, they allowed constant distillation using the two vertical columns.

The first had steam rising and wash, the product of fermentation, descending through several levels, while the second carried the alcohol from the wash and circulated it until it condensed at the right strength.

In 1856, Moubray agreed to share the market for grain distillers with five other companies, making sure Cambus got a 10.5 per cent share. This was due to the fluctuation of the market and safeguarded the company’s future.

Then, in 1877, Moubray and five other firms formed the Distillers Company Limited and bought the Cambus Old Brewery in 1882 so that the distillery could expand further as demand rose. By 1886 the site covered eight acres with warehouses, grain stores, three still houses and an engine house.

There was also a coppersmith’s shop, a coopersmith’s shop and a carpenter’s shop as well as a separate cooperage and stables. Each warehouse had railway sidings as the grain arrived by train.

All the machinery at the distillery was driven by steam power with a large waterwheel supplementing it which was fed from the River Devon close by. The engine shed housed four engines and six boilers.

In the early 1900s, debate reached the courts with malt distillers unhappy with the use of the word whisky for grain spirit. In order to sway public opinion in their favour, DCL took out a full front-page advert in the Daily Mail in 1906 for Cambus Pure Grain Whisky, leading the malt distillers to lose their case.

In the early hours of September 24, 1914, fire broke out at the grain store and maltings and although the nightshift workers tried their best to put it out, it spread to the mills, kilns, grain conveyor and stables.

The Alloa and Stirling Fire Brigades were called as strong winds fanned the flames. Luckily the bonded warehouse was spared, but the distillery was forced to close.