Distilling after nearly 200 years

The Borders Distillery in Ha wick will officially open its doors to the public tomorrow, marking the revival of an industry that had ended in the region for the best part of two centuries.

The last known distillery closed in Kelso in 1837, now to be replaced by The Borders Distiller y, owned by the four founder soft he Three Stills Company ( TTSC).

TTSC was founded in March 2013 by Tim Cart on, John F or dyce, Tony Roberts and George Tait, aiming to “capitalise on the growth of Scotch whisky sales, particularly malt whisky, and the explo - sion in demand for gin made in Scotland”.

They had all worked at one time or another at international distillers William Grant & Sons and have spent much of their professional lives in the drinks sector.

TT SC said in a statement today :“It was John Fordyce who identified Ha wick as a potential location. Having worked for world-leading thread manufacturer Coats plc, he knew that the town not only boasted a plentiful sup - ply of magnificent water but it also, owing to its rich manufacturing heritage, had a skilled workforce to tap into.”

In November 2015, the company announced that it had reached its £ 10m fundraising target for the new distiller y, and work started a year later on the 1.3 hectare site overlooking the River Teviot in the town.