Glen Mhor Workmen Houses Alterations May 1950

Finally, we have reached the final set of plans associated with Glen Mhor on Telford Street, which are available from the Highland Archive Centre in Inverness for viewing. My thanks once again to the team for letting me use these as part of the ongoing research. 

As previously speculated, there is a notable gap in the planning applications from this period until the 1990s, when they are available online. This highlights that, wherever these records are located, they will contain further changes at Glen Mhor, given what is confirmed on our existing Timeline. It is simply a matter of conducting further research and consulting with relevant parties, which I will undertake at the appropriate time. Hopefully, we'll have more plans to bring to you at a later date. After all, one thing the Glen Mhor project has been is a continuous barrel of surprises!

Last but not least is the return of the Workers' Houses, which have been the subject of all sorts of plans over the decades, as you can see in our Plans sectionPlans section. These specific plans take us back to the accommodation facing Telford Street, the original site, now probably under a roundabout in 2024.

Let's take a look at these plans, with moving the site plan into a negative format to make the location stand out more...

This building is not the rebuilt distillery office (across the entrance road to its left), rather this is the building has been upgraded and extended over the years, this is as far as we know the last development before the demolition team moved in. The distillery site is consistent with what we've seen in these post-war years, and the newer larger warehouses have not yet been built, which is confirmed by the above. 

The map gives very little else other than prominence to the nearby canal office.

One aspect of these plans that is consistently impressive is the ability to view them in person. While it is undoubtedly beneficial to be able to bring these plans to fruition online, there is a unique quality to being present when the plans are unrolled (or unfolded) and you can take in the entirety of the document. There is a functionality to such plans, but also a tangible indication of the care and attention that has been given, and occasionally, additional unexpected information. 

The plans were approved by the Clerk of the Court on 29 May 1960. The architect has appended the date "Inverness, 25 May 1950" to the lower right-hand corner of the document. This is the plan referenced in the application dated 24 May 1960 under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1947. The Act itself concentrated on the capacity to acquire land when necessary, and also theoretically facilitated the implementation of new land uses. So, potentially, an issue was highlighted with the original submission and promptly corrected the next day? This might explain why an earlier draft isn't within the Archive; essentially it is the same plan with a minor tweak.

The architects in question are Alex Ross and Son, based at Queensgate Chambers in Inverness. This architectural practice has previously been involved in the construction of this property, having been responsible for the additions made in 1946. Over the decades, the building has undergone a number of changes in its original form. As the architects were local, as opposed to Charles C. Doig's firm in Elgin who were used for production buildings, Alex Ross and Son were able to correct the prior day's omission.

The plans demonstrate an identical expansion on both sides of the house. In essence, the upstairs apartments are rendered fully self-contained, with the addition of bathroom and kitchen facilities. This would represent a continuation of the trend observed in the enhancement of the workers' accommodation across the site, including the construction of new houses on Telford Street in October 1946. 

In that article we touched upon the issues around accommodation in general following the war and the modernisation of facilities as this house in 1950 deliver a new level of comfort and attraction to working at the distillery.

Alan Winchester was also impressed by the continued focus on employees noting that 'good to see the plans, for the houses, as a tied house was important the continuous upgrades would have been important in attracting staff.'

It is noteworthy that the downstairs area appears to have been repurposed from residential to potentially commercial use. It is possible that the distillery is utilising this space for meetings or projects. However, the true purpose of this new space remains unknown. One certainty is that further work will continue to uncover new information as and when.

These original plans are kindly made available bh the Highland Archives Centre and is watermarked for its protection. As with any images on this website, please ask first before using and always give credit.