located on the banks of the River Teith,[2] eight miles from the historic town of Stirling, at the gateway to the dramatic Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park.

Deanston sits in the Highland single malt region of Scotland and produces whisky which is handmade by ten local craftsmen, un-chill filtered, natural colour and bottled at a strength of 46.3% ABV.

Deanston was largely an agricultural area until John Buchanan and his brothers from Carston had the foresight to convert an existing flax mill into a water-powered carding and roving factory with the latest machinery.

Its opening signalled the start of a period of great change for Deanston, which was inhabited with Highlanders who had been evicted in the Clearances and were reluctant to work in the mill.

The wheels were dismantled in 1949 and replaced by a more efficient hydro-turbine and steam electricity generating plant, which currently provides enough energy for all of the distillery's requirements, as well as producing a surplus which is sold back to the National Grid.

Deanston Mill was heavily influenced by Arkwright's classical style of architecture and this is a striking feature of the distillery today.

Construction began in 1834; its remarkable cast-iron cupola roof was insulated with soil to bring it up to the best temperature for weaving cotton (80 degrees Fahrenheit) and also helped to deaden the noise of the hundreds of working looms inside.

In a similar way to David Dale's model community at New Lanark, Deanston village was built by mill owners James Finlay & Co to provide housing for the workers.

The first houses were erected in 1811 - common entrances gave way to self-contained apartments, with attics for drying clothes and storage, and good coal-burning ranges were provided.

The distillery was formally opened on 30 January 1967 by the actor Andrew Cruickshank, the star of the BBC's ‘Dr Finlay's Casebook’ series.

The visitor centre is located in the former cotton mill canteen, with many original features being retained, and created seven new jobs for local people.

The spirit is handmade by a small team of local craftsmen who rely on traditional distilling techniques; no technology or computers are used.

The distillery also uses an 11-ton open-topped mash tun - the only one of its size in Scotland - and four unique pot stills with upwards sloping lyne arms and boiling balls, which help give the whisky its light character.