The Glenesk Distillery already had a pretty checkered history up until it was acquired by SMD in 1964. It had been used as a grain distillery for at least a decade until it was converted back to malt distilling by SMD.

SMD changed the Glenesk distillery's name to Hillside and produced malt there until 1985 when the distillery was closed, like so many others were in the 1980s. The distillery had its name converted back to Glenesk sometime around the early eighties. It has failed to find much love with whisky aficionados beyond a purely historical/collectability interest. However, there are some fine drams to be had from the oddball that is Hillside/Glenesk.