Bid made for Scotland’s most southerly distillery

Scotland’s most southerly whisky distillery, 200-year-old Bladnoch Distillery, is currently being eyed for acquisition by an Ayrshire brewery.

Arran Brewery could acquire the troubled Bladnoch Distillery (pictured) if its bid is accepted

According to the BBC, the Arran Brewery and a number of partner investors have confirmed their bid to buy the Wigtown-based Bladnoch distillery, which closed shop earlier this year after its parent company went into liquidation.

Northern Ireland-based Co-ordinated Development Services, which bought the mothballed distillery from United Distillers in 1994, appointed accountants Ernst & Young as its official liquidator in March.

A spokesperson for Arran Brewery told the BBC that it hoed to find our if its attempt to buy the site would be taken forward “in the next few weeks”.

Liquidators hope the distillery, which has eight employees, can be sold as a going concern.

When the distillery’s closure was first announced, Raymond Armstrong, CEO of Co-ordinated Development Services, told ITV: “The staff are naturally worried about their jobs but they are a great and dedicated workforce and I see no reason why new owners wouldn’t keep them on.

“The company is profitable so I’m sure someone will want to buy it.”

Bladnoch Distillery, based on the banks of the River Bladnoch, first opened in 1817.