All of which indicates that people have been living and working on the site of the distillery for thousands of years. There was also some evidence (two stone tools) of people being in the area during the Mesolithic period. The archaeologists found that people had been working in the area in the Middle Bronze Age ( radiocarbon dates of 1681–1503 cal BC) had built a small settlement in the Late Bronze Age (radiocarbon dates of between 1050 and 800 BC) then a single ring-ditch roundhouse in the Middle Iron Age (radiocarbon dates of 171 BC - AD 51) another small settlement between the ninth to twelfth centuries AD with two post-ring roundhouses and a 19th century quarry. In advance of the creation of the new distillery and visitor experience, archaeological excavations were undertaken by AOC Archaeology in 2014.

Archaeology Īerial view of the snow covered new distillery and visitor centre The distillery has 36 stills, comprising 12 wash stills and 24 spirit stills.

In 2019 the distillery won the 2019 RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award, and was nominated for the Stirling Prize. It was designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. In July 2019, the £140 million new distillery and visitor experience, on the Easter Elchies estate near Craigellachie, made the shortlist for the Stirling Prize for excellence in architecture. In 2018, The Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60-year-old sold for £848,000 at auction in Edinburgh, the world's most expensive bottle of whisky.

In 2014, a decanter of Macallan's 'M' whisky sold at auction in Hong Kong for a record-breaking $628,205. In 2012, The Macallan received the Guinness World Record for the most expensive whisky sold at auction. All proceeds from the sale were donated to charity: water, an organization that helps provide access to clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. In 2010, a bottle of The Macallan 64-year-old single malt whisky in a one-of-a-kind 'Lalique: Cire Perdue' crystal decanter was sold for $460,000 at an auction at Sotheby's in New York City. In 2007, a bottle of 1926 The Macallan was sold at a Christie's auction for $54,000, making it one of the most expensive bottles of whisky sold. David Cox, director of fine and rare whiskies for The Macallan, said, 'As a result of these tests from now on, no antique bottles from the antique collection held at the distillery will be made available for sale.' Although The Macallan had tested the paper of the labels and were satisfied the whiskies were genuine, additional tests on the contents of some bottles revealed whisky believed to be only 10 years old. In 2004, it was revealed that laboratory testing had determined at least 11 bottles in its antique whisky collection were fakes. In 2003, The Macallan started laboratory tests to determine if some antique whiskies purchased for their collection were forgeries, perhaps generated by a dealer with mafia ties. This selection continued the tradition of the Speaker designatingĪn official single malt. He did smell whiskies to make his selection. Speaker of the House of Commons, even though Martin himself had given up drinking alcohol. In 2001, Michael Martin selected The Macallan 10 Years Old as the official Scotch of the

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