Ambitious plans to build a new distillery in Inverkip have taken a step forward as construction gets underway, with the exciting new designs unveiled.
People who attended a special open day recently received a sneak preview of the designs, and Ardgowan Distillery has now released images of the new layout.
The ambitious plans to build a new distillery and visitor centre on the Ardgowan Estate, near Inverkip, are well underway.
The vision is to produce a flagship seven-year-old Lowland single malt with a maritime influence – described as a "whisky like no other".
A spokesperson for Ardgowan Distillery said: "We recently showcased the updated design for our distillery during our open day event last month.
"Construction has since commenced and we can hardly wait to witness the design turn into reality.
"The distillery will be unique: it is a Lowland distillery with maritime characteristics, given its close proximity to the sea and the Gulf Stream."
It is described as the perfect place to distil single malt because of the quality of the water from the local spring which is "beautifully clean and sweet" - it has been analysed in the laboratories of Scottish Water and is considered perfect for producing a classic, lowland Single Malt Scotch whisky, say the directors of Ardgowan Distillery.
There is no opening date as yet but the Ardgowan Distillery website states: "The distillery design is complete and we are securing the final investment required to make our dream a reality. It will then be a year or two until we produce our first spirit, followed by a few years maturing in sherry casks before it will become a Scotch whisky of quality and character. Great whisky takes patience."
The project has built strong and experienced team with world-wide experience in the development, distilling and promotion of whisky. CEO, Martin McAdam, brings his knowledge of process engineering and renewables to the team. And director, Alan Baker, comes to the team with a background in civil engineering, planning and his entrepreneurialism.
Master whisky maker Max McFarlane, who lives a mile from the distillery site, has sourced some of the finest casks of whisky he can find in order to create his own series of whiskies under the ‘Clydebuilt’ label.
For more details, go to: www.ardgowandistillery.com.
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