Nicol of Skene is proud to have played a key role in the expansion of a renowned distillery as part of the Aberlour Distillery Abstraction Scheme.
We delivered a significant horizontal directional drilling (HDD) project that will expand production capacity at the Speyside distillery.
This milestone effort follows our initial involvement with Chivas Brothers Ltd and Blyth & Blyth, where we were pleased to contribute to the design process. That collaboration led to Nicol of Skene being awarded the full horizontal directional drilling design and project execution work.
The abstraction scheme included the installation of 840 metres of intake and outlet pipelines, along with dedicated ducts for communications and power. Our team deployed 315mm SDR11 PE100 inlet/outlet pipes and 400mm SDR11 PE100 multiple subducts. These were installed using the Ditchwitch AT-120 drilling rig – a trenchless solution that ensures minimal disruption to the surrounding environment.
The pipeline network extends from the new distilling plant at Aberlour Distillery to the River Spey, running beneath key infrastructure including the A95 and the Speyside Way. Our experienced operators successfully completed the installation of 3no. 80 linear metres of parallel piping beneath the Speyside Way. We worked on the more technically demanding exercise of installing 3no. 200 linear metre drill shots beneath the A95, which reached depths of up to 17 metres.
This project highlights Nicol of Skene’s ability to deliver precise, high-impact solutions for major infrastructure and utility requirements. To learn how our expert team can support your next project, get in touch with us today.