Argyll and Bute Council has given R&B Distillers planning permission for Machrihanish Distillery, which is intended to be the first farm-to-bottle distillery in Campbeltown in over 180 years.
The Machrihanish Distillery will deliver a new single malt Scotch whisky for R&B, who already own the award-winning Isle of Raasay Distillery.
R&B plans to develop a sustainable net zero distilling model that removes any fossil fuel use from the whisky-making process, and uses regenerative, environmentally friendly farming practices. Up to 20 new jobs will be created in the region over time.
Managing Director of R&B Distillers, William Dobbie, said: “The rubber stamp for the distillery marks a major milestone on our journey in Campbeltown. When the whisky becomes of age our investment will go beyond production, attracting visitors to the region and supporting the local economy in a similar way to our existing distillery on Raasay.
“We are excited to be making this investment in Campbeltown and supporting the local economy through jobs and visitors,” said Dobbie. “This milestone has particular significance to our family as my father Bill’s family come from Drumlemble, a small village in between Machrihanish and Campbeltown.
“We would like to thank everyone who has helped us get to this stage – including Argyll and Bute Council, neighbouring whisky producers Glen Scotia and J&A Mitchell, and most importantly our customers and partners for continuing to support R&B and our brands.”
R&B purchased the Dhurrie Farm in Machrihanish in 2021, and having received the green light for the distillery development – starting with whisky production followed by a full visitor experience, shop, and tasting room – will now work with various stakeholders around environmental guidelines and other conditions before beginning construction on the site next year.
The company has also announced the acquisition of a controlling stake in Caskshare.com, a global eCommerce platform and bottler of single cask spirits, specialising in offering whisky fans single cask whiskies by the bottle, enabling producers to sell directly to consumers worldwide. R&B plans to add other cask-aged spirits like rum and cognac over time and will initially target markets in Europe and the United States.
Dobbie added: “Our Machrihanish Distillery news and Caskshare majority stake puts us on a clear track towards achieving our vision of becoming the leading new wave spirits business in Scotland.”
R&B reported revenue of £5 million in the year ended 31st December 2023, and now sells in 40 markets worldwide after launching the Isle of Raasay Gin in mid-2019 and the Isle of Raasay Single Malt at the end of 2020. The company has set its sights on growing sales to over £25 million in the next decade.
