New distillery on the banks of the Clyde draws on company’s Glasgow heritage
FAMILY-owned whisky company Douglas Laing & Co is drawing on its Glaswegian heritage as it plans its new distillery and single malt.
The company – founded by Fred Laing in Glasgow in 1948 – has submitted plans for a £10.7 million distillery on the banks of the Clyde, which it will name the Clutha Distillery; ‘Clutha’ is Gaelic for ‘Clyde’.
The project will include a corporate head office, distillery, visitor centre, bottling complex, whisky archive and bar/bistro and, if approved, should be completed for autumn 2019.
The distillery’s single malt whisky, which would be matured in sherry casks and bottled without chill-filtration or colour, would also bear the name Clutha.
The company continues to be owned by the Laing family in 2018, with Fred Laing Jr and his daughter Cara at the helm.
Cara Laing, who is director of whisky at the company, said: “We have long held this ambition for Douglas Laing to operate its own distillery and bottling operation in Glasgow.
“Not only will it bring whisky distilling back to the south side of the city, it will create welcome jobs and generate significant additional high-value exports.”
Chris Leggat, chief executive of Douglas Laing & Co, said the company “has a long and proud association with Glasgow and the Clyde”.
“It was important to us that the new distillery was located on the banks of the Clyde as it brings us back to where the company has its heart,” said Leggat.
“After careful consideration the name was selected to reflect our proud heritage and the importance of the location.”
As well as bottling single cask and small-batch whiskies from across Scotland, Douglas Laing & Co bottles a range of blended malts under the brand names The Epicurean (lowland malts); Timorous Beastie (Highland whiskies); Scallywag (Speyside); Rock Oyster (islands); and Big Peat (Islay whiskies).
