Why Is This Beautiful Spot Totally Empty?

Why Is This Beautiful Spot Totally Empty?

We do not to Drama, unless it is real.

For much of the 18th century, the college at Scalan in the Braes of Glenlivet was the only place in Scotland where young men were trained to be priests, the so-called "heather priests". From 1717 to 1799, over a hundred were trained despite numerous attacks by Hanoverian soldiers.

The college played a vital role in keeping the traditional Catholic faith alive in northern Scotland. It was named after the Gaelic word for turf sheilings ("galan") found in the Braes during that period. In 1799, the college was moved to a less remote site, Aquhorthies College, which had larger premises and more accommodation.


Following the departure of the priests in 1799, Scalan reverted to a farm. Two steading buildings were built housing corn threshing mills which served the Glenlivet farming community. The threshing machines and water wheels are still in place along with a wealth of historical graffiti telling the story of farming life in the 19th and 20th centuries. A major project to conserve the mill buildings took place in 2019, restoring the waterwheel and lade in North Mill and improving visitor access to the site. This was funded through the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Landscape Partnership with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Alexander Geddes, Scottish theologian and scholar, was among the famous figures who studied at the college. The last permanent resident of the Scalan was Sandy Mattheson, who died in late 2005.




The Braes of Glenlivet was a major location for illicit stills in the 18th and 19th centuries, and if local rumours are true, the practice continued until relatively recently. This remote, sheltered, high pasture land was ideal for moonshining – the first road to ‘the Braes’ was only laid in the 1960s. The distillery followed in 1972.

Braeval has steadily grown in capacity and is now home to six stills (two large wash and four smaller spirit) all with thin necks and upward sloping lyne arms helping to generate a lighter style with some floral notes.

It is rarely seen as a single malt – even independent bottlers scarcely have any. It shares the honour of being the joint highest distillery in Scotland with Dalwhinnie.

The site was chosen by Seagram – at that point still in pursuit of The Glenlivet – purportedly because of the quality of its water. Famously, the first mash took place before the roof had been put on the distillery because the chairman was coming from Canada to inspect his new baby.

It was one of the first wholly automated distilleries in Scotland and one of the first to contain all of the equipment in a single open-plan space. Although it sports a pagoda roof, no malting has ever taken place.

It became part of Pernod Ricard’s portfolio when the firm took over Seagram’s Scotch whisky division in 2000. The following year, its new owner mothballed it for six years. It is now in full production.

Originally known as Braes of Glenlivet it changed its name to Braeval to avoid any confusion with its more famous neighbour.

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David and Lindsay are at Scallon, enjoying the *nature**. They noted that there were no other campers nearby and they soaked in the **sounds of camping**. They enjoyed spotting some **animals* along the way as they enjoyed their time as *Weekend Warriors* while filming a **4k video**.