The Macallan distillery was founded in 1824 by Alexander Reid, a barley farmer and school teacher. Now owned by the Edrington Group, The Macallan prides itself on its Six Pillars, which include its curiously small stills, very narrow 'cut' of new make spirit and exceptional cask management. It is the most sought after whisky for collectors, regularly setting records at auctions all round the world. A new £140 million subterranean distillery and visitor centre on the Easter Elchies estate was opened to the public in the summer of 2018 and has since won several awards for its architectural quality; with its exciting features including glass walls of vintage whiskies, a circular pod of copper pot stills, and a Boutique reflecting those in Dubai and Heathrow airports.