Digitographer
Active member
Dominating the Dumbarton skyline since the 1940s, much of this old Distillery is now gone - only the main tower remains. Standing in the shadow of Dumbarton Castle, perched high atop its craggy rock, the tower sits in splendid isolation amongst mounds of rubble - all that is left of a once thriving industry.
Determined to see the place before it succumbs to the demolition teams, I visited the former distillery. Even now, as the threat of destruction looms large on the horizon, still it is imposing.
Inside, silence abounds, broken only by the occasional flutter of the wings of a startled pigeon. Daylight streams in through the huge glassless windows, casting shadows beyond the wrought iron pillars which fill the space, ascending through each floor.
Giant holes in each floor betray the former presence of massive pipes, no doubt used to convey the unfinished whisky around the sections of the distillery, but the giant vats and all other clues to the previous use of the building are gone. Two stair cases lead upward to the floors above - all of these floored with meshed iron grilles, through which the drop to the ground floor is visible, reminding all but the most determined visitor that life is precious and death may be only a few seconds away.
The light makes the red brick of the tower vibrant. Inside, the entering light brings alive the last vestiges of colour, creating shadow and contrast - and accentuating the emptiness of this great monolith.
A Sky Of Honey
Determined to see the place before it succumbs to the demolition teams, I visited the former distillery. Even now, as the threat of destruction looms large on the horizon, still it is imposing.
Inside, silence abounds, broken only by the occasional flutter of the wings of a startled pigeon. Daylight streams in through the huge glassless windows, casting shadows beyond the wrought iron pillars which fill the space, ascending through each floor.
Giant holes in each floor betray the former presence of massive pipes, no doubt used to convey the unfinished whisky around the sections of the distillery, but the giant vats and all other clues to the previous use of the building are gone. Two stair cases lead upward to the floors above - all of these floored with meshed iron grilles, through which the drop to the ground floor is visible, reminding all but the most determined visitor that life is precious and death may be only a few seconds away.
The light makes the red brick of the tower vibrant. Inside, the entering light brings alive the last vestiges of colour, creating shadow and contrast - and accentuating the emptiness of this great monolith.
A Sky Of Honey
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