The company intends to create a distillery which will produce a range of single malts, gins, liqueurs and other spirits, along with a pioneering visitor centre, spanning 11,969 sq ft, in the heart of Scotland’s capital.
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| A rendering of the proposed visitors centre at Holyrood Distillery |
Led by Johnston Carmichael, the fundraising launch marks the latest milestone in the distillery’s development, following the City of Edinburgh Council’s decision last year to approve development of the historic Engine Shed building and site on St Leonard’s Lane into a distillery and visitor centre.
The funds will be used to renovate the 180-year old City-owned building, purchase and install equipment, create the visitor experience and provide working capital to cover the early costs of start-up and production.
A joint development by David Robertson, former Master Distiller for The Macallan and Rob and Kelly Carpenter, founders of the Canadian branch of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Holyrood Distillery will be Edinburgh’s first single malt whisky distillery since Glen Sciennes closed in the 1920s.
Commenting on the news, Rob Carpenter, Managing Director at Holyrood Distillery said: “We feel truly fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of bringing single malt distilling back to Edinburgh after far too long an absence. Kelly, David and I all love our spirits and we’re incredibly enthusiastic about making flavour-filled single malts, gins and other cool tipples as well as creating an experience which allows our visitors to truly immerse themselves in the world of Holyrood."
He went onto say: "We are confident that by placing a working distillery in the heart of Edinburgh’s capital, with the visitor numbers and cash flow that is expected to provide, we are creating something that is quite different from the typical distillery start-up.”
Distilling of Holyrood whisky will begin in late 2018, with the aim of bottles hitting the shelves as early as 2021. Holyrood’s ‘flavour first’ focus will be brought to life early in 2018 with prototype gins and liqueurs for test marketing. Products will then be produced ready for the distillery opening to the public later in 2018.
Posted by Steve Rush