A group of people living in a west Highland community are pulling together so that they can produce their very own local pints.
The Applecross Brewing Company is currently seeking planning permission to build a brewery at Russel on the Applecross peninsula and hopes to be producing an initial range of three beers by the end of the year.
Philip Buckley, of the partnership, said: “We are a group of locals and friends of Applecross who got together and decided it would be a good idea to have our own brewery.”
The group of 14 joined forces and each person paid an equity share.
Mr Buckley said: “We are all doing it for the fun of it. We meet every month and we all have different jobs, it is a real community effort.
“We will be producing our initial range of three beers by the end of this year. A light hoppy summer beer, a ruby Scottish ale and a dark porter. Our brewer, John Johnston has already co-ordinated brews with Drygate Brewery, Glasgow and Bute Brew Co in Rothesay.”
Names for the beers are still to be decided upon and they will be sold initially at the Applecross Inn, the Lewiston Inn at Drumnadrochit and the Jolly Judge in Edinburgh.
Mr Buckley added: “We are in the early stages. We are waiting for Highland Council to approve the planning for us to build a big shed. As soon as the shed is built we will order the brewery.”
The brewery is tipped for success after some test beers were sold earlier this year to locals and tourists at the award-winning Applecross Inn. They reportedly “disappeared very quickly.”
The design statement lodged with Highland Council says the objective is “to develop a small locally run brewery to supply the increasing demand for locally produced ales and beers to local hotels and bars and also bottle beers for sale in local retail outlets over a wider area.
“Initially there will be one full time employee and one part time employee with this rising to two full time and one part time after the first six months of production. It is anticipated the workforce will increase as the business develops.”