Ardgowan to build malt whisky distillery in Inverclyde, Scotland

Ardgowan Distillery has received funding from the Government of Scotland to build a new malt whisky distillery and visitor centre in Inverclyde.

The Scottish distillery was awarded £982,000 from the government’s Food Processing, Marketing, and Co-operation (FPMC) grant scheme.

Ardgowan Distillery CEO Martin McAdam said: “The Scotch whisky industry supports more than 40,000 jobs in Scotland, and is a vital component of Scotland’s ambitious food and drink growth strategy.

“This £12m project will move Inverclyde up the rankings for food and drink production in Scotland.

“During construction, the project will support 35 jobs and contribute more than £2m to the local economy.”

The distillery has already obtained full planning consent. Construction will begin next year and is expected to be completed by 2020.

The new distillery will create six new full-time jobs and nearly 15 additional jobs in the visitor centre and retail operations.

The company also anticipates that this new facility would create around 47 additional jobs in the wider economy during the first five years.

McAdam further added: “We are extremely grateful to the Scottish Government for their generous support, and to all others who have backed the project so far, especially the local community for their enthusiasm and encouragement.”