The Glen Spey distillery sits below the ruins of Castle Rothes, once home to the Earls of Rothes who lived there until a devastating fire in 1662. Now just a few sections of wall remain. The Glen Spey whisky distillery was founded as the Mill of Rothes in 1878 by James Stuart and Co, the buildings having started out life as an oatmeal mill. Six years later, James Stuart purchased the Macallan distillery and in 1887 the English company W & A Gilbey acquired the Glen Spey. Currently the distillery is owned by Deagio.