Glentarras Distillery was built in 1839 and operated until 1905, producing up to 75,000 gallons per year. It was formally closed in 1914 but its site was used as accommodation for workers at the Gretna explosives factory from 1916. It had produced a ‘highly and richly flavoured Malt‘, sold principally in London.

In 1915, it was owned by the London company Seager, Evans & Co., having bought it in 1903. Although the distillery itself was described as ‘Empty’, four of the houses on site were still occupied, one of them by the manager Thomas Welburn.