A Glasgow-based independent whisky bottler and blender has secured planning permission to develop a new distillery in Campbeltown, as the renaissance of the once-booming whisky region gathers pace.
Brave New Spirits has seen its plans to build a single malt distillery at the former RAF base in Machrihanish, where it is pledging to create around 30 permanent jobs in production, warehousing, and distribution, approved by Argyll & Bute Council.
The proposed Witchburn Distillery will be net-zero in terms of carbon emissions, powered by 100% renewable energy sources, and produce two million litres of alcohol per year, with the scope to lift that to four million in future.
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The plans have been developed by Adam Hochul and Alexander Springensguth, founders of Brave New Spirits. Production will be headed by founder master distiller Andrew Nairn, former distillery manager of Glenkinchie, Strathmill, and Borders Distillery.
Witchburn will use traditional distilling methods to produce unpeated, lightly peated, and heavily peated malts. It will operate a “carefully planned” wood policy, with the majority of its spirit to be filled into barrels from "famous" American bourbon producers, Oloroso sherry casks from various Bodegas, selected Tawny, and Ruby Port barriques and organic Bordeaux wine barriques.
Witchburn will mature its casks in on-site warehousing close to the sea, and in warehouses in the Campbeltown area.
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Production is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2024.
Mr Hochul said: “We were delighted to receive this news today. Our team is excited to be working with the Campbeltown community in the coming months and years to develop Witchburn Distillery.”
Campbeltown was once home to dozens of distilleries and recognised as one of Scotland’s distinct whisky regions alongside Speyside, Lowland, Highland, and Islay. Today, only three distilleries remain, though there are plans for several new ones, sparking hopes of a revival in the region.
As well as Witchburn, planned distilleries include the proposed Dal Riata Distillery, which would have the capacity to produce 850,000 litres of pure alcohol per year.
R&B Distillers, owner of the Islay of Raasay Distillers, plans to build a farm-to-bottle distillery on land it has secured at Dhurrie Farm in Machrihanish, where it aims to produce 400,000 litres of pure alcohol per year.
Bari Reid of Organic Architects, which designed the plans for the Witchburn Distillery, said: “The distillery will be located at the disused RAF airbase in Machrihanish and will be powered by 100% green renewable energy sources and the latest in heat and energy recovery systems, making Witchburn one of the most environmentally friendly distilleries in Scotland.
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"Capable of producing two million litres of alcohol a year, the distillery will operate 24/7 to ensure that it keeps reusing as much heat and energy as possible.”
He added: “Working with the local authority to get this application through the system relatively quickly means the Campbeltown renaissance can now move from paper to reality. Distilling is the perfect opportunity for the adaptive reuse of a building like this which has struggled to find a purpose, bringing highly skilled jobs into a fragile rural economy.”
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