Diageo admits its distillery caused toxic spill killing thousands of fish in Moray

Local fishermen alerted SEPA in April to a white, paint-like coating on the Carron Burn, a tributary of the River Spey in Moray. Subsequent testing identified a toxic chemical, believed to be caustic soda, entering the water from Diageo’s Cardhu Distillery in Knockando. The contamination spread over a two-kilometre stretch of the Knockando Burn, killing thousands of fish, as well as birds, eels, frogs and other wildlife.

Diageo publicly accepted responsibility, expressed sincere regret, and pledged to work closely with SEPA on the investigation and a long-term regeneration scheme. SEPA’s ongoing regulatory inquiry will assess the environmental impact and determine whether the incident meets criteria for prosecution, potentially referring the case to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. The incident has raised concerns among fly-fishers about the long recovery time for the salmon population in the affected waterways.