The distillery, which in total will cost £12M, will commence construction next year, with ambitious plans for the completion of a world-leading lowland malt whisky distillery by 2020.
 |
| The site of the new Ardgowan Distillery |
The Ardgowan Distillery, which plans to build the flagship project on the Ardgowan Estate near Inverkip, 30 miles west of Glasgow, secured £982,000 from the government’s Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation grant scheme, providing vital capital towards construction costs.
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 spirt and industrial alcohol until it was destroyed in the May Blitz of 1941.
Commenting on the news, Martin McAdam, Chief Executive Officer of The Ardgowan Distillery Company, 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.”
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.
Posted by Steve Rush