It is celebration drinks all around at Ardgowan Estate in Inverkip, pictured, after receiving the green light for new £12m distillery and whisky centre.
The owners of the new development are very keen to promote the history of the local area in the new development, showcasing it an ancient estate with links to Native American Princess Pocahontas, one of the most significant figures in the early colonial history of America, King Robert the Bruce and an infamous coven of witches.
But there is now a new brew with the the Ardgowan Distillery Company promising a ‘world-class lowland malt whisky distillery’, with plans to be operational in 2019.
Work on the £12million distillery will begin this year, and will see the construction of a state-of-the-art facility on the site of an old sawmill on estate land near Inverkip. 
“Our goal is to produce a truly outstanding seven year old lowland single malt, says Martin McAdam, the distillery’s chief executive. 
“In the coming weeks we will commence detailed design and procurement work for the construction of the distillery, and this will give us the opportunity to engage with local businesses and the public in order to develop our plan and start to employ the staff that will be engaged during the construction and operational stage,” McAdam says.
Last month the distillery announced the appointment of former Macallan managing director Willie Phillips as company chairman, and the addition of ex Bruachladdich and Diageo veterans Gordon Wright and Michael Egan in commercial and product engineering advisory roles. 
“We have a tremendous team on board and are now looking for our next round of investors who can join us on this very exciting journey,” McAdam concludes.
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.
Sir Ludovic Shaw-Stewart, the 12th Baronet and owner of Ardgowan Estate, is excited about the future prospects.
He said“The Ardgowan Distillery will be a fantastic new chapter in the history of this area, and all future drams will have these extraordinary bloodlines – from both Scotland and the United States – in their veins.”