Macallan was founded by Alexander Reid in 1824 on the Easter Elchies Estate above the River Spey, and it was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to become legally licensed. The name comes from the older place name “Maghellan”, combining the Gaelic magh for fertile ground with a reference to St Fillan, who was associated with the church that once stood on the estate. Easter Elchies House, which remains central to the brand’s identity, dates from around 1700 and still sits at the heart of the estate.