Feb 2011
We have started cutting down the trees and ivy in and around the distillery building. Historic Scotland have had two site visits and we await their reports on the stabilisation procedure. They have also reiterated the historical importance of this site but unfortunately, in the current climate, there are no funds available.
April 2011
See the report we received from Historic Scotland.
May 2011
We have instructed our own team of architects and surveyors to form a schedule of work and to establish a cost figure for the required work
June 2011
The RSPB have applied to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding for their Inner Forth Landscape Partnership Scheme. Within this application they have included funds for the stabilisation of Kennetpans Distillery.
July 2011
We have received the report from our architects and surveyors and were shocked to see the figures they have come up with.
September 2011
Unfortunately, the RSPB’s application for lottery funding has been unsuccessful.
See letter from Zoe Clelland. That is a pity as we were hoping for some assistance from there.
October 2011
We have received approval for our charity, Kennetpans Trust.
See letter from OSCR. Just need to open a bank account now.
May 2012
2nd visit from the Heritage Lottery Fund arranged through the RSPB for the Inner Forth Landsape Partnership Scheme. – if at first you don’t succeed!
July 2012
The BBC filmed at Kennetpans relating to a documentary on the history of scotch whisky. Actor Brian Cox presented the feature which is due to be broadcast in November 2012. (A huge thank you to Charlie MacLean for the inroduction).
Local MSP Keith Brown and his assistant Helen visited. They are now actively helping to promote our cause.
October 2012
Good news regarding the Heritage Lottery Fund bid through the Inner Forth Landscape Partnership Scheme. This Stage 1 bid has been successful and we are now in a development phase so hopefully this will take us a step closer to securing funding.
November 2012
The BBC Scotland programme ‘Addicted to Pleasure’ is being screened this month, a 4 part documentary, with the whisky episode being the last to be shown just before Xmas.
December 2012
We are now actively trying to raise funds by contacting the whisky industry itself – watch this space. We would ask anyone with experience in raising funds for a similar project to contact us as we would appreciate any suggestions or guidance.
Our plans for a Kennetpans Whisky have been on the back burner recently. We will be reviving this in the new year.
‘Addicted to Pleasure’ was shown on BBC 1. Welcome to everyone who has discovered this website after watching the programme.
January 2015
We have recently been awarded a grant of £60000 as part of the Inner Forth Landscape Initiative’s application to the Lottery Heritage Fund. This grant from the Lottery Heritage Fund is match funded by Historic Scotland who are going to Project Manage the fund on the Trust’s behalf. Work should begin within the next few weeks and will start with the clearing of vegetation to allow the ruin to be seen in its entirety. Then we should be able to identify the work required to stabilise the ruin.
July 2015
After a lot of organisation and red tape, work has started on Kennetpans Distillery.
AOC Archaeology have carried out archaeological digs within the main distillery ruin.
August 2015
The Conservation Volunteers are carrying out vegetation clearance within and along outside walls of the main distillery building.
July 2016
IFLI held an organised weekend of events in a bid to learn more about the wider distillery complex. These included archaeological surveying, painting and drawing, photogrammetry and laser scanning to produce a more accurate record of the current condition of the site as well as a moth study and a ‘BioBlitz’ where all the different types of wildlife and flora were recorded.
Forth Valley Orchard’s Initiative visited to assess the orchard and returned with volunteers who started pruning some of the plum trees (with guidance and supervision). After a lot of hard work they managed to prune quite a few of the trees and learned a lot in the process.
August 2016
Forth Valley Orchard’s Initiative returned to Kennetpans and ran a Master Orchardist Volunteer workshop and continued with the pruning of the plum trees.
There was a second mothing event organised by IFLI.
September 2016
IFLI had a History by Bike event.
October 2016
Historic Environment Scotland returned to proceed with the stabilisation of the distillery. After fencing off the distillery, they continued with some vegetation clearance before using Apro props to ensure the stability of the windows, doors and lintels. They then began to fill in some of the more worrying cracks in the walls.
February 2017
Historic Environment Scotland returned to survey the site before recommencing with the stabilisation work. They also informed us that the grant for funds to cover tree felling in the warehouse area had been approved.
Forth Valley Orchardist’s Initiative unfortunately had to cancel a return visit to the orchard because of the weather and also because the grounds are still saturated.
March 2017
Julian and his guys from JR Schad Tree Services Limited have started removing dead and diseased trees from the warehouse area of the site.