A new distillery in Moray which aims to open its doors in the coming months has secured £140,000 funding.
Cabrach Distillery, a community-led project, will bring real whisky back to the area for the first time in more than 170 years.
Funding has been secured from Social Investment Scotland (SIS) as part of plans to deliver “greater impact for the communities”.
The project will be the flagship asset of The Cabrach Trust and is on track to open later this summer. It will also add a dedicated heritage centre.
Distillery will be ‘economic lungs’ of community
The remote community was once home to a thriving illicit whisky trade — a legacy which the distillery aims to celebrate.
The Cabrach Trust chief executive Jonathan Christie believes, once opened, the distillery will create “much-needed” employment.
He said: “The Cabrach is renowned for its role in the birth of Scotch whisky.
“Completion of The Cabrach Distillery will contribute to a tale of renewal like no other.
“Our distillery will serve as the economic lungs of our community-led regeneration vision — creating much-needed permanent, skilled employment.”
The distillery is expected to help attract thousands of extra visitors to “this special place”.
At the turn of the 20th Century, The Cabrach population was around 1,000 people. Today, there are fewer than 100.
Mr Christie called the support for the distillery from “like-minded partners” like SIS “invaluable”.
He added: “This is a bold idea – a unique social enterprise being made possible through the sustained support of The Cabrach community, alongside an exciting blend of funding partners.”
As well as creating a dozen local jobs, the new distillery aims to attract visitors from near and far, generating income to reinvest in regeneration plans.
First whisky already on sale
The SIS cash has already helped the distillery to bottle its first whisky, The Feering.
Named after the first furrow ploughed in a field, it went on sale in advance of the official opening.
Malt “master” Alan Winchester has created three versions. The first of these is The Feering Early Harvest edition, a blended malt marrying spirit donated by four Speyside distilleries.
Limited to only 6,000 bottles worldwide, The Feering Early Harvest has a recommended retail price of £75.
‘Overachieving plans’ behind funding for The Cabrach Distillery
SIS head of investments Chris Jamieson said the finance provider wants to support The Cabrach Trust’s “overachieving plans”.
Mr Jamieson added: “The Cabrach is filled with a rich heritage of whisky-making .
“By providing access to affordable finance, in this case to help the distillery prepare for production, SIS is championing local organisations and social enterprises of all sizes to deliver greater impact for the communities and people they work with.”
Funding will further support day-to-day start-up operations of the distillery, such as production and performance monitoring.
Conversation