Glenmorangie in Highlands planning row

A Scottish council has accused Glenmorangie Distillery of failing to adhere to planning regulations.

Moet Hennessy’s Glenmorangie whisky has been accused of failing to adhere to national planning laws by local council committee members

The Ross-shire-based company has commenced work on building a road designated for HGVs in order to separate visitor and access traffic. But Highland councillors sitting on the planning committee said that permission was not given before the work began.

The Moet Hennessy-owned brand is also currently in the process of constructing four new whisky maturation warehouses.

It was reported in the Ross-shire Journal that councillor Alasdair Rhind said: “I am a bit disappointed with them as a company and they way they have disregarded the planning rules.

“I think a company such as Glenmorangie shouldn’t be showing a total disregard for planning legislation. It is disappointing they started this road without planning permission.”

While councillor Margaret Paterson added: “Yes, Glenmorangie is a big success story and people enjoy what they produce. But I think a company of that size to go ahead without planning is a bit ridiculous.”

Although the committee approved the application last week, it will now write to the multi-national demanding that it behaves differently in the future.

However, Charles McEwan, Glenmorangie’s engineering manager, has hit back at the committee’s criticisms. He told the Ross-shire Journal: “Throughout the process we have worked with Highland Council to ensure that we have followed planning guidelines.

“Within these guidelines it is permissible to construct a temporary road to allow construction traffic to access our warehouse construction site, ahead of full permission being granted for the secondary access road.”