Glasgow Distillery and visitor centre plan gets the green light
GLASGOW is to get its own distillery on the northern bank of the Clyde.
A £10 million plan to transform the Pump House building between the Riverside Museum and the Hydro into a distillery and visitor centre got the go-ahead from Glasgow City Council earlier this month.
Construction on the Glasgow Distillery is due to get underway later this year. It is expected to open in autumn 2015, employing 25 staff.
The distillery is the brainchild of Tim Morrison, formerly of Morrison Bowmore Distillers and currently owner of the AD Rattray Scotch Whisky Company. His great grandfather built the Pump House in 1877; it controlled the entry bridge into Queens Dock ensuring Customs and Excise could keep an eye on goods, including whisky, being shipped in and out.
Morrison’s plans are to transform the building, currently owned by Clydeport and formerly used as the entrance to the Tall Ship, into a whisky museum and visitor centre. The distillery, plus a specialist shop, café and whisky tasting bar will be in a new building next door.
Morrison said: “The city was once home to many whisky distilleries and we think the Glasgow Distillery will put Glasgow right back on the Scotch whisky map.
“Few people know the historical significance of the iconic Pump House building to the Scotch whisky trade. It gives me great pleasure to now have the opportunity to bring the building back to life, restore it to its former glory and give the surrounding area the respect and status it deserves.”
