If approved, the scheme will bring whisky distilling back to Leith, with the construction of a state of the art distillery in Edinburgh’s port district, beside The Royal Yacht Britannia and the Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre.
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| Port of Leith Distillery planning application submitted to Edinburgh City Council |
The Port of Leith Distillery, will be the first purpose-built single malt distillery to be constructed in the capital for over a century, and the only one in Scotland to use a vertical distilling process.
Founded by Patrick Fletcher and Ian Stirling, who grew up together in the capital, the distillery will bring a distinctive, new approach to Scotch whisky production.
The vertical production process contained in the building is focused on producing the best whisky possible, with a specific emphasis on fermentation; an aspect of whisky production that is rarely highlighted.
The company is developing a long-term partnership with Heriot Watt University’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling in order to facilitate an extensive product development and research programme, which will begin in early 2018 and progress throughout the building’s construction.
The partnership also aims to provide the university’s
students with access to learn and experiment in the building’s lab and blending
facility, and opportunities to access work experience and internships with the
distillery’s team.
With a total
anticipated production volume of 400,000 litres of pure alcohol per year, the
building will also use the adjacent harbour as a heat sink for cooling the
production process; an environmentally friendly design feature that will
significantly reduce the volume of water required to produce its whisky.
Commenting
on the news, Patrick Fletcher, Co-Founder of The Port of Leith Distillery,
said: “Leith was
once the national hub for the Scotch industry and it’s really exciting to be
restarting that tradition. Our business will boost the local economy by drawing
more tourists and residents down to the harbour and providing many new jobs.
Leith has been on the up for many years and we’re really excited to be building
where we are, right in the heart of the docks. Hopefully the quality of our
building’s architecture will encourage more investment in the area."
If the
planning application is successful, construction is scheduled to commence at
the beginning of 2018, with the distillery opening its doors in the Spring of
2019.
Posted by
Steve Rush