Traquair House Brewery

Traquair House presumably holds claim to being the oldest continually inhabited house in Scotland with sections dating back to the twelfth century. Brewing began again in 1965 at Traquair House for the first time since about 1800 after Peter Maxwell Stuart, the twentieth Laird of Traquair, discovered disused domestic brewing equipment during renovations. He enlisted the help of Sandy Hunter, then of Belhaven Brewery, to assist in getting things going again. After Peter's death in 1990, the brewery passed to his wife, Flora, and is currently managed by daughter, Catherine. The Head Brewer, Ian Cameron, learned from Peter.

It is known that brewing was done here as early as Mary, Queen of Scots visit in 1556 and that a 200-gallon copper was installed in 1739 in the brewhouse under the chapel. When brewing originally resumed, the output was used solely for sale at Traquair's own shop; however, as word spread, outside demand increased and in 1993 Catherine extended the brewing operation into the eighteenth-century stable buildings next to the house. All the beer produced is still fermented in the original two hundred year old oak fermentation tanks with brewing taking place all year long with the exception of the month of August. About six to seven hundred barrels are produced yearly.

Approximately 200,000 bottles are produced annually with only a few outlets offering Traquair House ales on tap. Bottled products are available through over 100 independent retailers and are also exported to a number of countries. In addition to their regular products, a number of special beers are produced occasionally.

Products (descriptions adapted from brewery website):

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