Stock Spirits’ Inveraray Distillery gets green light
Argyll and Bute Council has granted planning permission to Stock Spirits UK for a new distillery and visitor centre on the grounds of Inveraray Castle.
The plans for the new £25 million (US$32m) development on the ‘land at former walled garden at Inveraray Castle Estate’ were submitted in June 2024 by European spirits producer Stock Spirits and Argyll Estates.
The planning permission was officially approved by the council on 4 December 2025 for a modern whisky distillery, visitor centre, landscaping, access and associated infrastructure works, approximately 800 metres northwest of Inveraray Castle.
Although the permission has been officially approved, Stock Spirits has not provided a timeline for the new construction project.
Stock Spirits Group’s spokesperson said: “Stock Spirits are delighted to have received a positive planning decision. It is our intention to review the content of the decision and plan the next steps.”
The new distillery will produce single malt whisky for the Clan Campbell blend, which Stock Spirits Group acquired from Pernod Ricard in September 2023.
Inveraray Castle has strong ties to the whisky blend. Torquhil Campbell, the 13th Duke of Argyll, who owns the castle and serves as the chief of Clan Campbell, has long been an ambassador for the blend and a supporter of the Scotch whisky industry.
The master plan
Inveraray Distillery is expected to produce 2 million litres of alcohol annually.
According to the planning application, “the main distillery will extend to approximately two storeys and will overlook the proposed garden spaces and will house a series of production spaces, including a mill room, mash house, washback room and a still house.”
Furthermore, the plan includes a boiler house, storage tanks, and a service area at the back of the distillery.
The one-storey visitor centre will be connected to the distillery by a covered walkway. It will include reception and welcome areas, tasting rooms, retail and exhibition spaces, a bar, and staff facilities.
The application does not include ‘any provision for maturation warehousing’, including a statement with ‘no intention to develop’ such on-site, but includes a small dunnage at the centre as part of the visitor experience for informative purposes.
In addition to the buildings, the site will include a new biodiverse garden and the refurbishment of the B-listed wall.
Once fully operational, the distillery will employ eight full-time staff members, with the visitor centre expected to maintain five full-time and 12 part-time staff.
Related news
Virginia Distillery ups UK footprint with Maverick Drinks
