HILL O’BIRSE: A Whisky Shaped by Road, Ruin and Time
Running south from Deeside is an Old Military Road—an ancient route that crosses the River Feugh beneath the distinctive peak of Clachnaben, climbs over the Cairn O’Mount, and descends towards Fettercairn. This path has carried travellers for centuries.
It is believed to have been used since prehistoric times, and later by the army of Edward I in 1296, by Macbeth on his way to defeat at the Battle of Lumphanan, and even by the Roman forces of Gnaeus Julius Agricola in AD84.
Following the Jacobite Rising of 1745 and the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, a network of military roads was constructed across the Highlands to allow government troops to move swiftly and suppress further unrest. The route over Cairn O’Mount was formalised as part of this system, linking Fochabers in the north to Fettercairn in the south.
KNOWE GREEN INN
Along these roads stood countless inns, offering refuge to soldiers, cattle drovers, weary travellers, and smugglers moving goods towards trading centres such as Aberdeen, Stonehaven, and Brechin.
One such place was the now-forgotten Knowe Green Inn.
Historical newspaper accounts record that whisky flowed freely here—much of it drawn from the “Hill O’ Birse,” a landscape once alive with small-scale distilling. This was whisky of character, shaped by its origin and carried by cask along the very road on which the inn stood.
Today, the inn lies in quiet ruin above the Forest of Birse. Yet its story endures.
FINZEAN WAREHOUSE
Not far from the site of Knowe Green Inn, in the parish of Birse, stands our late 18th-century granite warehouse.
Within its thick stone walls, our whisky matures slowly in unique oak casks, shaped by the same air, the same climate, and the same landscape that once gave rise to the spirit served at the inn.
What was once carried by cart and cask along the military road now rests quietly in Finzean—continuing a legacy defined by place, patience, and time.
THE LABEL
Under our Skene Dhu brand, the story is brought to life through an original illustration of the ruined Knowe Green Inn by Scots artist Sara Young—capturing both the atmosphere and quiet permanence of the site as it stands today.
Text and concept created by Tom Melville of Melville and Young Ltd and labels printed by Siobhan Creative.
Hill O’Birse – First Release
To mark the launch of our first release under the Hill O’Birse label, we looked to the beginning of the Old Military Road in Morayshire—a route steeped in history and long associated with the movement of spirit through the Highlands.
This inaugural malt carries its heart in one of Scotland’s most celebrated whisky towns: Dufftown. Drawn from two distilleries within the town, the spirit has been carefully married to create a whisky that reflects both place and tradition.
The spirit was finished in an ex-Cognac cask in our warehouse at Finzean, adding a layer of richness and subtle complexity to the character of the malt.
A whisky shaped by journey, provenance, and time—true to the spirit of Hill O’Birse.
HILL O’ BIRSE WHISKY– Batch 11/26
15 Year Old Blended Malt
Distilled 2011 | Bottled 2026 in Finzean, Aberdeenshire
On the nose, notes of honeycomb, cinder toffee, and soft chocolate emerge. The palate is creamy and warming, developing into a gently spiced, elegant finish—reflecting both the richness of the cask and the quiet influence of long maturation.
BUY HERE: https://skenedhu.com/product/hill-obirse-15-year-old-blended-malt-batch-11-26/
