http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Major incident at North British Distillery en Fri, 22 May 2026 09:22:33 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-169116 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 22:57:28 +0000 gembo 169116@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Ah IWRATS you are so right. The farm had a stocked pond that the 50p junkies and I went too, it was impossible not to catch trout. The chaps were a little squeamish so veggie gembo had to remove the fish from their hooks. They then carried them back to chateau au lait like the mighty hunters returning. You see what I did there I bigged up their self esteem got them out of the gutter to the point where they could resume domestic abuse of their wives and families.</p> <p>The only other customers were three strange Italian chaps who also liked 100% strike rate when casting line into pond. The surface was virtually teaming with trout</p> <p>Eagles guy was JJ Southern I believe, he came back to me cycling home </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-169082 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 18:05:17 +0000 I were right about that saddle 169082@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Trout farm replica, surely? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-169081 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 18:02:00 +0000 gembo 169081@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>plaque to duncan flockhart on Balmoral hotel, bridges side</p> <p>his DF118s beloved of many a 50p junkie in Castlemilk, the chaps I used to take to the GFT or the Trout Farm at Lanark.</p> <p>to misquote that guy that left the Eagles before they made it</p> <p>dihydrocodeine to kill the pain</p> <p>but dihydrocodeine don't kill the pain</p> <p>Whiskey sours was the real stuff</p> <p>Cannot dredge his name (JJ Something? NOT JJ Cale), sorry, but he was good and obvioulsy kept his cred by leaving the Eagles </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-169029 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 11:58:58 +0000 kaputnik 169029@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There was another "synthetic coffee essence" works in Beaverbank (just by Warriston) at one time, under the name Thomas Symington &amp; Co. who marketed their product under the Dandelion brand. I'm not sure if it came from dandelions, chicory is more likely. Symingtons also made flavoured jelly crystals and "Instan-tea" tea crystals. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-169021 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 11:17:42 +0000 I were right about that saddle 169021@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@kaputnik</p> <p>Fantastic, thanks! I have actually used products branded Duncan &amp; Flockhart.</p> <p>But the bitterest thing known to man is not Bitrex, it is Suze.</p> <p><a href="http://www.pernod.fr/english/marques/autres_boissons/suze.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.pernod.fr/english/marques/autres_boissons/suze.html</a></p> <p>Adding Bitrex to Suze would make it <em>more</em> drinkable. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-169017 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:59:50 +0000 kaputnik 169017@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Lots of good heritage wrapped up in this.</p> <p>The site was originally the Daniel Bernard brewery. Daniel Bernard fell out with his brothers T &amp; J Bernard who ran the successful Edinburgh Brewery on Robertson Avenue (under where all the new houses at the top are). He set up on his own at the Wheatfield site but it didn't prosper and soon closed. The original malthouse is incorporated into the current pharmaceuticals site.</p> <p>Macraflan Smith were formed from the merger of three Edinburgh pharmaceuticals companies; J. F. Macfarlan, T. &amp; H. Smith and Duncan &amp; Flockhart. They have a long combined pedigree, including producing sterile dressings for Joseph Lister, were involved in the development and supply of Chloroform to James Young Simpson, produced the poison Strichnine in a factory on Northfield Broadway, produced "Lettuce Opium", had a medicinal drugs farm in Warriston (Tesco used to be the site of the Blandfield Chemical Works), invented the first liquid essence of Coffee (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/charmainezoe/5327360641/">see this wonderful Victorian advertising poster</a>), developed the first injectable morphine and to top it all off, discovered the bitterest substance known to man (Denatonium) in 1958, which is used to make industrial alcohol, solvents and detergents unpalatable.</p> <p>They grow poppies under licence in England for refining into opiates. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-169016 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:56:16 +0000 fimm 169016@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>"ethanoic anhydride"</em>? Is this a relative of dihydrogen monoxide? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-169015 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:54:46 +0000 chrisfl 169015@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I went past just after 6, and could see firemen coming out one of the buildings on the Westfield Road side. By the time I had walked to the front (I'm on foot because of a annoying couch/back end of a cold) The Fire incident response unit and another fire engine were leaving. So don't think it amounted to anything. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-169011 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:43:19 +0000 chdot 169011@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"think I've just found a new route home via sainsburys"</p> <p>Beware, glass. </p> <p>I cut through the carpark too so the (lack of) dropped kerb I meant was at the Wheatfield end. Not particularly big, but there is often a litter filled puddle too. </p> <p>Coming from the WoL I keep imagining that the lights for the right turn into Sbury's should be a 'filter' but it doesn't seem to be - unless it just doesn't detect bikes(?) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-169006 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:31:08 +0000 ARobComp 169006@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I didn't know about that secret path. I think I've just found a new route home via sainsburys. was previously coming all the way around russel road or around via the horrible bus shortcut that's further along. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-169001 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:08:24 +0000 I were right about that saddle 169001@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Somebody must have spilt the ethanoic anhydride used to turn poppy juice into medicine. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-168995 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 09:35:42 +0000 cb 168995@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I went that way for the first time a few weeks back - I'm not sure why it hadn't occurred to me before to try it. Although I tend to avoid the WOL/Westfield Av route due to the tedious long wait at the traffic lights.</p> <p>On that occasion I went via the Sainsbury's car park and via the recycling bins as mentioned by edd1e_h. That route seems to get round the dropped kerb problem at least. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-168994 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 09:24:26 +0000 fimm 168994@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Oh, yes, right, I know about that "secret" path round the side of Sainsbury's - I run that way quite often, and it is also the quickest route from our flat to Murrayfield. I just hadn't paid much attention to the industrial units down there! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-168991 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 09:16:44 +0000 neddie 168991@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>a 'secret' path that's still missing a dropped kerb - years after Sainsbury's opened</em></p> <p>Yes, that is a bug bear of mine. It would have been perfectly feasible for Sainbury's to create a segregated cycle path from this point, round 2 sides of the car park, to connect to the 'Sainsbury's' lights. In doing so, connecting Gorgie to WoL/Balgreen. It would've cost Sainsbury's nothing, there is already plenty of grass verge around the car park.</p> <p>Instead you have to make a crazy dog leg around some recycling bins, broken glass and blind corners with peds approaching...</p> <p>TIE </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-168990 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 08:56:18 +0000 chdot 168990@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"I didn't even know about Macfarlan Smith"</p> <p>It's a bit hidden. On a deadend <em>road</em> with a 'secret' path that's still missing a dropped kerb - years after Sainsbury's opened. (Slightly quieter route towards the WoL.)</p> <p><a href="http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/42770359" rel="nofollow">http://www.cyclestreets.net/journey/42770359</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-168989 Wed, 22 Oct 2014 08:36:01 +0000 fimm 168989@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>We live just the other side of the Gorgie Road and had no idea that anything had happened... (I didn't even know about Macfarlan Smith - I'll take a look the next time I go that way. I think I thought that all of that area was North British Distillery.) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-168964 Tue, 21 Oct 2014 20:44:10 +0000 kaputnik 168964@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Macfarlan Smith at the end of Wheatfield Road. Site has "previous" <a href="http://news.stv.tv/east-central/301562-firefighters-tackle-explosion-at-a-drugs-factory-in-edinburgh/" rel="nofollow">http://news.stv.tv/east-central/301562-firefighters-tackle-explosion-at-a-drugs-factory-in-edinburgh/</a> </p> <p>They make diamorphine (medical-grade Heroin) amongst other "controlled substances". Check out the specification of the fences and gates next time you pass in daylight. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-168963 Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:39:34 +0000 chdot 168963@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Not NB, heroin factory -</p> <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/firefighters-deal-with-gorgie-chemical-incident-1-3579490" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/firefighters-deal-with-gorgie-chemical-incident-1-3579490</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-168962 Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:17:41 +0000 Arellcat 168962@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I was cycling into town along Gorgie Road this evening, about 5pm or just after, and three fire appliances were racing the other way as best they could. Two fire tenders and the fire control unit.</p> <p>I don't know if it's related but the traditional aroma from the NB Distillery was very strong yesterday afternoon and this afternoon. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13739#post-168960 Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:04:15 +0000 neddie 168960@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Strong smell of vinegar/acetic acid when passing NB distillery Gorgie at around 5:30pm. Every fire, ambulance and police appliance you can imagine in attendance. (At least 7 or 8 of each variety).</p> <p>Not sure what was going on, possibly another chemical spill? </p>