New site chosen for £15m single malt Scotch whisky distillery and visitor centre

WOLFCRAIG has revealed plans for a £15 million development of a

Scotch whisky distillery and visitor centre at the Craigforth campus in Stirling, having agreed to acquire land at the site from developer Ambassador Group.

The Wolfcraig Distillery business has been founded by Michael Lunn, former chairman and chief executive of Scotch whisky distiller Whyte and Mackay Group, and co-directors John Moore and Jamie Lunn.

Wolfcraig noted that “industry experts” including master blender Richard Paterson, master distiller Ian Macmillan, erstwhile Diageo production director Alan Rutherford, and former Bacardi UK operations director Iain Lochhead would be working alongside the trio of founders. The new distillery will create up to 50 jobs.

Asked who would construct the distillery, a spokeswoman for Wolfcraig said: “We are working closely with our design team on details and haven’t officially appointed a construction firm yet.”

She noted Wolfcraig had previously been looking at developing the distillery on a nearby site, but an opportunity had arisen at Craigforth “which was too good to give up and made sense for the business”.

The planned new distillery will have the capacity to produce up to

1.5 million litres of spirit per year and will focus on producing premium Wolfcraig Highland single malt Scotch whisky in addition to a “range of other associated spirits”.

Wolfcraig is owned by its management team and outside investors and has been raising further funds through its “Join the

Wolfpack” campaign.

The company said: “This campaign allows for Scotch whisky enthusiasts to become a part of the Wolfpack from the outset.”

The Craigforth site has long been occupied by Prudential, following its takeover of life office Scottish Amicable in 1997. Prudential is moving to new offices in Stirling.

Ambassador Group’s planned development includes a new office building on the north of the site, as well as hotels, retail units, leisure, and hospitality offerings, alongside a residential development.

Chris Richardson, managing director of Ambassador Investments, said: “We are very excited that Wolfcraig see their future as part of our Craigforth development and it’s great news for our overall masterplan. We have been extremely impressed by the vision of the Wolfcraig management team and look forward to being a part of their journey.”