Council refuses Wolfcraig Distillery plans

Planning permission for the multi-million-pound Wolfcraig Scotch whisky distillery has been rejected by Stirling Council for the second time.

In 2020, the late Michael Lunn partnered with his son, Jamie Lunn, business partner John Moore, and master blenders Richard Paterson OBE and Ian Macmillan to build a new Scotch whisky distillery. The team aimed to create a premium Highland single malt.

Wolfcraig Distillery was due to be located at the Craigforth Campus in Stirling, following a deal with the Ambassador Group in June 2021.

The plans for the new site included a distillery, an interactive and education-focused family visitor attraction, a private tasting room and a 180-cover bistro restaurant and bar.

Stirling Council had initially refused planning permission for the Wolfcraig development in March 2022 due to the scale of the project and its impact on the open landscape.

An appeal against the decision was refused by Stirling Council’s Local Review Body on 25 May 2023.

Jamie Lunn, co-founder of Wolfcraig Distillers, said: “We are extremely disappointed by the Local Review Body’s decision to refuse planning for the development of the distillery and visitor centre at Craigforth.

“We’ve been working tirelessly with the city’s local and business communities since the initial rejection in March last year to ensure the proposals would complement this thriving area as a business, a local producer, and a major tourist destination.”

Lunn said the company was looking at “alternative locations” in Scotland.

“The distillery had the potential to inject millions into the local economy every year, and it is a shame Stirling will now be denied that opportunity,” he continued. “However, from disappointment comes opportunity. This is not the end – far from it.”

Earlier this month, Wolfcraig released its inaugural bottling, a 30-year-old blend, created by Paterson and MacMillan.