Wee Toon’s whisky boom
Plans revealed for third new distillery
Campbeltown’s “whisky renaissance” shows no sign of stopping, with plans for a third new distillery – which could create 30 permanent jobs – submitted to planning chiefs on Wednesday.
Glasgow-based independent whisky bottler and blender Brave New Spirits Ltd is behind proposals for a new single malt whisky distillery at Machrihanish Airbase Community Company (MACC) Business Park.
The Witchburn Distillery, to be located between Campbeltown Airport and Machrihanish village, will use traditional distilling craftsmanship to produce unpeated, lightly peated and heavily peated malts.
The new net zero carbon production distillery – which will produce two million litres of alcohol per year – will be powered by 100 per cent green renewable energy sources and the latest in heat and energy recovery systems, making it one of the most environmentally-friendly distilleries in Scotland.
The distillery is planning to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to ensure it keeps reusing as much heat and energy as possible.
Production will be headed by founding master distiller Andrew Nairn, former distillery manager of Glenkinchie, Strathmill and Borders Distillery, who said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work with Organic Architects and Frilli [designer and builder of distillation plants] to develop a distillery to produce a truly great Campbeltown spirit. To combine traditional artisan methods of whisky-making with the latest green technology is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Adam Hochul and Alexander Springensguth, joint owners of Brave New Spirits and the new Witchburn Distillery, said they were looking forward becoming part of the community and contributing to the already worldwide reputation of Campbeltown whisky.
“We could not find a better location to build our first still house,” they said. “The whole design aims to produce a typical, complex and full-bodied Campbeltown malt. Our aim is to recreate a whisky like it was produced many decades ago.”
Gareth Roberts, founder and director of Helensburghbased Organic Architects, added: “This latest planning application is great news for Campbeltown’s economy. The whisky boom will provide local, well-paid and stable jobs across a variety of roles including distilling, warehousing and visitor centres.
“Campbeltown is definitely one to watch and we are proud to be involved in its key turning point in history.”
Subject to planning application approval and schedules, production at Witchburn Distillery will commence in the last quarter of 2024.
In the last year and a half, plans to build The Machrihanish Distillery at Rhoin Farm and Dál Riata Distillery in the heart of Campbeltown have been revealed.
If plans for all three facilities come to fruition, it would double the number of single malt-producing distilleries in Campbeltown, which is currently home to Springbank, Glen Scotia and Glengyle.
See next week’s Courier for more information about the plans for Witchburn Distillery.