Legacy of heritage and innovation celebrated in Port Ellen Scotch Whisky distillery plans

Port Ellen distillery on Islay in Scotland will be revived in an inspiring celebration of quality, heritage and innovation, under plans that have been revealed to the local community.

The plans, which will be formally submitted to Argyle & Bute Council later this year, were unveiled at a pre-planning consultation event in Port Ellen, giving Islay locals the opportunity to view the proposals.

The local community were invited to view the plans at the consultation event and also to share their memories and artefacts relating to the historic distillery.

Former employees of Port Ellen were amongst those invited along to share in the distillery revival plans.

Diageo’s specialist archivist for single malt whisky, Joanne McKerchar, also attended to meet people and to learn from their Port Ellen experiences, anecdotes and artefacts.

Under the plans, Port Ellen will be brought back into production with a combination of two pairs of copper pot stills and two separate distillation regimes in an innovative combination of tradition and experimentation.

The primary distillation regime, using two stills that will exactly replicate the original Port Ellen copper pot stills, will carefully recreate the original spirit character of the distillery that made its single malt Scotch Whisky amongst the most sought-after in the world.

Georgie Crawford, the master distiller who is leading the Port Ellen project, said, “These plans are any whisky maker’s dream come true.

“To have the opportunity to recreate the original spirit character of Port Ellen distillery so we have new generations of that classic Islay peated malt is incredible, but then to combine that with the freedom to experiment with new variations is truly extraordinary.”

In regard to the building design for the recreated distillery, she said: “Like the whisky, the plans for the buliding combine the best of heritage and innovation.

“The buildings at Port Ellen distillery have changed and evolved many times over its lifetime. We’re lucky enough to have the old kiln buildings and seaside warehouses that will be restored and reimagined, alongside spacious and modern light-filled new buildings to house the distillery production.

“We believe these plans are a fitting tribute to the exceptional legacy of Port Ellen and we are incredibly excited to be able to share them.”

In October 2017 Diageo announced a £35 million investment programme to bring back Port Ellen on Islay and Brora distillery in Sutherland, both of which closed in 1983.

Since then the company has embarked on an additional £150 million investment programme in Scotch whisky tourism – the biggest ever seen in the sector – which will create a global flagship visitor experience for Johnnie Walker scotch whisky in Edinburgh as well as investing in the company’s existing 12 distillery visitor centres, including Caol Ila on Islay.