The first legal whisky distillery will open on the small Hebridean island of Raasay next month.
The Isle of Raasay Distillery, owned by R&B Distillers, is expected to produce 150,000 bottles of whisky a year.
But drinkers will have to wait at least another three years before its first Raasay dram will be ready to drink.
In June, trails began on the island to assess the possibility of growing and ripening barley suitable for whisky-making locally with farmers and crofters.
The distillery is expected to generate employment for up to 10% of the island residents.
R&B Distillers is turning Borodale House, a derelict Victorian hotel on the Isle of Raasay, into a distillery and visitor centre.
In the past, whisky was made illegally using illicit stills.
The barley project involves local farmers and islanders Andrew Gillies, John Gillies and Alasdair MacAskill.
They have prepared an area of land as well as enriching the soil with lime and fertiliser.
Expert advice for the project has also been sought from Orkney-based Dr Peter Martin, of the University of the Highland and Islands’ Agronomy Institute.
Dr Martin has been involved in growing bere barley in Orkney.
Bere is Scotland’s oldest cultivated barley and was grown on Raasay 40 years ago.
The other varieties in the trial are concerto, which is the most widely grown UK malting barley.
The pilot will also use tartan, which is grown in Orkney for distilling whisky, Icelandic variety iskria and a Swedish barley called kannas.
Even if the trials are successful, the whisky maker notes that it may only be possible to produce a small percentage of total production using ‘all-local’ ingredients.
“R&B is keen to challenge the limitations of production in such a remote and unusual location,” the company says.