A heritage-led identity for a historic single malt, inspired by The Cabrach’s illicit past, remote landscape, and the revival of traditional whisky distilling in Aberdeenshire.
Tucked away in the remote uplands of northern Aberdeenshire, The Cabrach was once a hotspot for illicit whisky production. Its isolation, dark skies, and the steady flow of slate from nearby quarries made it the ideal cover for smuggling operations.
The name “Cabrach” comes from the old Gaelic for “antler place”, a nod to the red deer that once roamed these hills.
Today, The Cabrach Trust is bringing that hidden past back to life. The traditional steading at Inverharroch Farm is being carefully restored and transformed into a working historical distillery and heritage centre. Using 19th-century methods, the distillery will produce The Cabrach single malt, reviving the spirit of how whisky would have been made here around 1820.
The brand identity concept draws from this layered history. For heritage materials, copper foil on a grey board recalls both the copper stills and the wealth once drawn from the local slate. The whisky packaging continues this narrative: copper foil again, this time on a deep midnight blue board, referencing the area's prized dark skies. In both, the word ‘Cabrach’ is subtly debossed in white foil.
To hold its own alongside more established whisky brands, the bottle design leans contemporary. A clear, squat, rounded form, sealed with embossed wax and fronted by the copper foil marque on a rich blue label. A closer look reveals a hidden story. Beneath the surface, a spot UV landscape illustration emerges, stars catching the light like a quiet echo of The Cabrach’s shadowy past.
