Strathdon Overview

The Strathdon Estate is located in the famed hills of Hatton. This is where most of the picturesque tea gardens of Hatton Plantations are located, with the slopes truly resembling a sheet of strikingly visible tea fields belonging to one Plantation Company that lie alongside each other. Located at an elevation ranging from 915 meters to 1370mm above mean sea level, the estate records an annual rain fall of 3500mm distributed over a period of 185 wet days on average.

Strathdon estate consisting of 646.37 hectares of land is the largest Plantation in the area. The cultivated extent of 403.29 Hectares comprises 55% vegetative propagated cultivars and 45% of old seedling tea which is over a hundred years old. The estate records an overall annual yield of 1300 kilos per hectare. According to the history of Strathdon Estate the cultivation commenced in the year 1913. Few known British planters during the era to follow were Mr. Edward Charles Keyte 1961-1968 and Mr. Cornelius O Callaghan 1968.

Strathdon Estate was in its earlier days owned by the Scottish Ceylon Tea Company and managed by Leachmen & Co. Ltd. It was taken over by the Lands Reform Commission and subsequently absorbed into the Janatha Estates Development Board. With the re-privatization of Plantations on the 16th June 1992, Strathdon estate came under the management of Lankem Plantations Ltd and thereafter to Watawala Plantations PLC and Hatton Plantations PLC at present.

There is well-trained and experienced health staff that provides excellent medical facilities to the entire estate. The estate maintains a dispensary which could be well compared to a present day private hospital. In addition to their normal functions connected to the estate medical work the health staff is also in the process of conducting useful health camps, workshops and health awareness programmes, for the benefit of community. There are six well maintained child development centers to look after the children of associates. Sports meets and various activities such as concerts are held from time to time with the active participation of the parents as well. Strathdon is popular for producing strong, bright and thick liquoring teas of CTC manufacture. These are bought by reputed tea buyers for mainly the export market. The product has good quality and has the ability to meet the competitive market demands as well.

Past Managers

Name  From To
Mr. E.C. Keyte 1961 1968
Mr. C.B.O. Callagahan 1968 1975
Mr. D.G.D. Yapa 1975 1976
Mr. R. Bordie 1976 1983
Mr. K.N.T.De Seda De Fenseka 1984 1984
Mr. N.S.Kiriella 1984 1987
Mr. P. R. Kotalawela 1987 1989
Mr. H.Bambaradeniya 1990 1990
Mr. R. Bordie 1990 1992
Mr. M.B.H.Pilapitiya 1992 1992
Mr. J.L.X. Almeida 1993 1993
Mr. M.W. Newman 1993 1994
Mr. Y.S.Nagawatte 1994 1994
Mr. V.R.Katugaha 1994 1997
Mr. L.A.Jayawickrame 1997 1997
Mr. J.A.H. Samaranayake 1997 2000
Mr. L.A.Jayawickrame 2000 2001
Mr. G.T.Oscar Viren Ruberu 2001 2002
Mr. H.P.T. Hulangamuwa 2002 2003
Mr. A.N.P. Fernando 2003 2003
Mr. H.P.T.Hulangamuwa 2003 2005
Mr. S. Jayasekara 2005 2006
Mr. A. Edirimuni 2006 2008
Mr. P.U.Wanigathunga 2008 2012
Mr. R.Winter 2012 2015
Mr. R.K.S.Ratnayake 2015 2016
Mr. L.K.Abewardana 2016 2019
Mr. D.H.K.Sumanaratna 2019 2020
Mr. A Premachandra 2020 To date

Carolina Overview

Region

Medium Grown

Temperature

14-36˚C

Total Population

5256

Elevation

1331m

Rainfall

5862 mm. Wet Days 198

Contact Details

Telephone

+94 (0) 51- 4921364 (Office)

+94 (0) 51- 4921373 (Factory)

Location

Strathdon Estate

Hatton, Sri Lanka

Characteristics

CTC Medium

Leaf Appearance – Fairly blacker. Curly neater and clean leaf

Infusion – Brighter – Reddish/ Coppery

Liquor – Reddish Colour thicker and more brisker with useful strength

Certifications