A Scottish distillery has given an insight into the journey and arrival of its new  copper stills in what it said is a "critically important" moment.

Ardgowan’s new distillery is set to begin production after then installation of the "unique stills, crafted by skilled artisans".

The Inverclyde distillery said the stills, created by McMillan Coppersmiths in Prestonpans, near Edinburgh, "represent a blend of traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology".

Martin McAdam, chief executive of Ardgowan Distillery, said: "This occasion is critically important to our company, it is a measure of how far we have progressed."

The £20 million distillery has been dubbed the "cathedral of whisky".

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Hitting in hope: Scottish golf clubs under the cosh

Golf has never been more popular, yet many clubs are still finding it difficult to make ends meetGolf has never been more popular, yet many clubs are still finding it difficult to make ends meet (Image: Newsquest)

While proprietary courses are able to forge ahead with expansion plans, many mid-tier golf clubs in Scotland are now finding their economic outlook a foray into the rough.

It's a sport awash in money yet many clubs in the home of golf are once again finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet following the rebirth of the game’s popularity during Covid.

Research released in September by governing body the R&A reflects the continuing growth of golf globally, with an increase of 3.1 million adult players in R&A affiliated markets outside the US and Mexico between 2022 and 2023. This takes the total of on-course players to 42.7 million. It’s a similar story in the lucrative US market, which is home to more golfers than any other country in the world.

Read Kristy Dorsey's story here 


Center Parcs unveils plans for first Scottish village

The planned new holiday village would have around 700 lodgesThe planned new holiday village would have around 700 lodges (Image: Center Parcs)

Center Parcs has revealed plans for its first holiday village in Scotland – a move which is expected to create around 1,200 jobs.

It declared it continues to “see significant demand for domestic short breaks”, and declared the expansion into Scotland would “provide customers with a new site to explore”.

The planned new holiday village would have around 700 lodges, catering for about 3,500 guests at any one time, Center Parcs noted. The site chosen for the village is in the Scottish Borders, around three miles north of Hawick and 55 miles south of Edinburgh.

Read Ian McConnell's story here


Glasgow jeweller lights up new city HQ for Christmas

'We are all incredibly pleased''We are all incredibly pleased' (Image: Laings) Laings has lit up its new Glasgow home for Christmas.

The family-owned jeweller has switched on the festive lights at its flagship Rowan House showroom on Buchanan Street. It will be the first Christmas for Laings at the Victoria building, which the historic firm relaunched following a multi-million-pound refurbishment project earlier this year.

Laings launched its new festive campaign, The Heart of Christmas, when it unveiled a bespoke installation covering the front of Rowan House last night. The installation, created in collaboration with Blachere Illumination, is made up of more than 22,296 LED bulbs, capped by a gold sparkling bow that wraps around the front of the B-listed building.