Memories of Rosebank Distillery and looking forward to tourist boost for Falkirk area

Despite being closed since 1993, he felt there was always a slim chance of it coming back “given the renewal of interest and investment into the whisky industry, I was hoping it would just be mothballed rather than knocked down”.

When he heard rumours of its rescue, “I was really willing it to happen,” he says. “I remember thinking – it’s a huge investment, and that takes a lot of courage. I think it will become a destination adding to the attractions of Falkirk.” These were thin on the ground when Rosebank shut, 30 years after the canal closed in the early 1960s.

For Mr McNally, the Rosebank distillery, which opens to the public on June 7, completes a story of renewal that began with the reopening of the canal and the Falkirk Wheel in 2002. “It’s the end of a new beginning,” he says.

Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn is equally impressed with the new Rosebank. “It’s amazing to think we could actually bring back some of the traditional industries into the Falkirk area, because there has been so much lost over the years,” she says. “We’ve got over 2500 people employed here in the tourism sector, and having an operating distillery right in the heart of the town, only five to ten

minutes from the historic town centre, will act as a catalyst to help rejuvenate Falkirk in general.”

With the Kelpies and the Helix Park attracting 800,000 visitors a year, she believes Rosebank will help draw them into town and make Falkirk a true tourism hub. “We want to create that flow through, and have something for everyone,” she says. “We want to take people from an overnight stay, to spending two or three days here.”

Remembering the old Rosebank distillery lying empty for years she watched the new one “rising up out of the ground". “It’s such a beautiful building, and I’ve been very fortunate to see inside,” she says. “The fact they’ve taken the old beams and the flooring, and reutilised them, means you can touch and feel a little bit of history there. And the quality of the workmanship is absolutely top- class. It has a very elegant feel to it.”

Ross McMillan, head of destinations at Scottish Canals and based at the Falkirk Wheel, has also been round. “I managed to get a sneak preview a couple of months ago, and inside it’s just stunning,” he says. “To see the craftsmanship that has gone into it - that blend of modern and old with the brickwork and the glass façade, and the fact you can touch the original chimney stack from the inside, is incredible.”

Scottish Canals owned the building before it was bought by Ian Macleod Distillers in 2017.

“Some of my colleagues remember the stills being stolen in 2008 when it was a derelict site, and they’re really inspired to see it back up and running again,” says Mr McMillan. “Being our closest neighbour and such a great attraction, Rosebank’s going to be really good for the area. We’re hoping to welcome people from there to the Falkirk Wheel, and vice versa.”