Scottish distillery openings continue to rise

The number of new distilleries opening in Scotland continued to climb last year, says a report for accountants UHY Hacker Young Group.

The report also says that the sector is benefiting from a global trend among consumers to spend money on prestige drinks rather than globalised drinks brands.

Of the 39 distilleries which opened their doors across the UK in 2017, 18 of them were in Scotland, producing high-end gins, rums and whiskies. Scotch whisky remains one of Scotland’s most successful exports, but the long lead times for increased whisky production means more are required to meet growing demand.

Among the new openings in 2017 was the Clydeside Distillery, in a former Victorian pumphouse at Queen’s Dock in Glasgow, and the Isle of Raasay distillery to the east of Skye.

There are already more than 100 distilleries in Scotland, ranging from commercial giants to tiny craft operations. That figure is expected to rise by at least 10 in 2018, with several major projects set for completion. Malt distilling returns to Edinburgh for the first time since in almost a century and The Holyrood Park distillery, due to open later this year, and housed in a former engine shed in the St Leonard’s district of the capital.

Category: News, Whisky