Two new whisky distilleries are set to be built in Campbeltown after securing planning permission from the local council.
Whisky enthusiasts Iain Croucher, owner of independent bottler North Star Spirits, and entrepreneur Ronnie Grant will construct the Dal Riata Distillery in Campbeltown itself.
The site, overlooking Campbeltown Loch, will incorporate a distillery, museum, visitor centre and retail outlet.
Grant said securing planning permission from Argyll & Bute Council was ‘a massive step forward in fulfilling our dream to bring a new distillery to Campbeltown’.
“We have been humbled by the positive reaction we have received from both local people and the wider whisky community,” he said.
“Campbeltown is a special little place which is certainly on the up and we can’t wait to become a part of its bright future.”
The news comes after another independent bottler, Glasgow-based Brave New Spirits, secured planning permission for its own Campbeltown distillery.
The Witchburn distillery will be built at the former RAF airbase at Machrihanish. Once complete, it will produce two million litres of pure alcohol a year, with the potential to expand to four million.
The state-of-the-art facility will also be powered by 100% renewable energy sources.
Brave New Spirits co-founder Adam Hochul said the team were ‘delighted’ to have planning permission approved.
“Our team is excited to be working with the Campbeltown community in the coming months and years to develop Witchburn Distillery,” he said.
It’s been some time since a new distillery was opened in Campbeltown. Although the area once hosted scores of distilleries, there are currently only three in operation.
