New plans submitted for Portavadie Distillery

An application to build a new whisky distillery at Portavadie on the banks of the Loch Fyne, Scotland, has been submitted to the Argyll and Bute council.

The news comes almost five years after initial plans were submitted by the previous owners, which have since been scrapped.

The new proprietors, Portavadie Distillers and Blenders, have put forward plans for a ‘completely new design’, with a larger production capacity.

The building is being constructed on the former site of the ‘ghost village’ of Polphail, which was built for oil workers, yet never occupied. For years it lay empty, being finally demolished by the former owners a few years ago.

The site is to have a ‘new lease of life’ as a distillery and visitor facility, and will bring many jobs and opportunities for the local area.

Whisky tourists will be able to link a visit to the distillery with a trip to Islay via the Calmac ferry to Tarbert, which leaves from the Portavadie marina.

A £15 million (US$17.3m) investment has been made by Piccadily Agro Industries, the largest independent malt spirit distiller in India.

Piccadily is part of the growing Indian premium whisky movement, and is the maker of the Indri single malt which recently won a Gold medal in The World Whisky Masters 2022 blind tastings.

The building has been designed as a coastal distillery, having the appearance of a number of gables typical of a traditional Scottish seaside village.

Traditional Scottish pot stills will look out over Loch Fyne, linking the production areas with the landscape.

Building work is expected to commence early in 2023 with the first spirit flowing in 2024.