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Ardgowan
distillery project is given a major
boost with the award of almost £1
million from the Scottish government.
A project to build a new lowland malt
whisky distillery and visitor centre in
Inverclyde was given a substantial boost
this week with the award of nearly £1
million from the Scottish Government.
The Ardgowan Distillery secured £982,000
from the government’s Food Processing,
Marketing and Co-operation (FPMC) grant
scheme – providing vital capital towards
construction costs.
The award was announced on November 15
by Fergus Ewing MSP, the Scottish
Government's Cabinet Secretary for the
Rural Economy and Connectivity, at the
AgriScot exhibition in Edinburgh.
The distillery now plans to commence
construction next year – with ambitious
plans for a world-leading lowland malt
whisky distillery by 2020.
Commenting on the award, distillery
Chief Executive Officer Martin McAdam
said:
"The Scotch whisky industry supports
over 40,000 jobs in Scotland, and is a
vital component of Scotland’s ambitious
food and drink growth strategy.
"This £12 million project will move
Inverclyde up the rankings for food and
drink production in Scotland. During
construction the project will support 35
jobs and contribute over £2 million to
the local economy," McAdam says.
 Once up and running, the distillery will
create six new full-time jobs, with up
to 15 additional jobs in the visitor
centre and retail operations, with
around 47 further jobs created in the
wider economy during the first five
years.
The distillery has already received full
planning consent for the project, which
will transform a former sawmill on
estate land near Inverkip.
Earlier this year the distillery
appointed industry veteran Willie
Phillips – who spearheaded The Macallan
malt whisky for 18 years – as chairman
of the business.
Phillips was managing director of The
Macallan from 1978 until the company was
bought by Highland Distillers in 1996.
During this period Phillips helped
establish The Macallan single malt as an
international brand.
Since then the distillery has appointed
former Bruichladdich and Springbank
director Gordon Wright as advisor on
commercial development and sales, while
global distilling expert Professor
Michael Eagan will review the new
plant’s process engineering design.
The new distillery will resurrect the
name of the Ardgowan Distillery, which
was founded in 1896 and located in Baker
Street, Greenock. After a few years of
whisky production, the distillery was
used to make grain spirit and industrial
alcohol until it was destroyed in the
May Blitz of 1941.
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