Tuesday, January 29, 2019

ROSEBANK REDEVELOPMENT GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT

Ian Macleod Distillers, has today announced that it has been granted planning permission to start work on its multi-million-pound redevelopment of the Rosebank Distillery.

Following the lodging of a planning application in June 2018 and a subsequent extensive public consultation process, Falkirk Council has now given the green light for the redevelopment of the Rosebank Distillery.

Rosebank redevelopment given the green light

Rosebank ceased production in 1993 when former owner UDV (now Diageo), mothballed the site. After 25 years of lying dormant, the extensive work to revitalise the distillery is expected to begin within the next couple of months.

Situated on the banks of the Forth & Clyde Canal, the revived Rosebank Distillery hopes to attract around 50,000 visitors a year to Falkirk and will offer a wide range of distillery tours, with some featuring the very last drams of Rosebank distilled prior to the distillery’s 1993 closure.

Plans include a new 1,000-square metre contemporary and energy-efficient distillery with a production capacity of up to one million litres of alcohol per year. The iconic Rosebank chimney will remain in place and other historically significant canal side buildings will be retained and refurbished for use as a visitor centre, tasting room, shop and warehouse space.

Commenting on the news, Leonard Russell, Managing Director of Ian Macleod Distillers, owners of Rosebank, said: “We’re delighted to have reached this significant milestone of the Rosebank redevelopment project.  To bring back to life an iconic distillery and quintessential Lowland single malt is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

He went onto say: “Our investment goes beyond production. We’re proud to be investing in Falkirk by adding to the town’s flourishing economy and tourism scene with a new Rosebank Visitor Centre, to help tell the story of this remarkable whisky.”

He concluded by saying: “Rosebank Distillery has a very special place in Scotland’s whisky heritage and we’re committed to ensuring this remains the case. We will strive to replicate the unique Rosebank style by once more employing the unique techniques of triple distillation and worm tub condensers, for which this iconic Lowland single malt is famed.”

The new Rosebank Distillery, will generate 25 full time equivalent jobs for the local economy when it commences distillation and opens to visitors around Autumn 2020.

Posted by Steve Rush