Muir Construction contracted to start construction of Ardgowan Distillery
The Cathedral of Whisky in Inverclyde is expected to cost around £20 million in total.
After seven years of intensive planning, the Ardgowan Distillery has now appointed Muir Construction to carry out the first phase of construction. To the west of Glasgow, on the Ardgowan Estate on the Firth of Clyde, the new whisky distillery is to be built on a former farm site. The old buildings that are still standing are to be preserved and repaired as far as possible. They will house the visitor centre, for example.
Start of production planned for 2024
The production building itself will be newly constructed and will house a modern net-zero distillery. In cooperation with Heriot-Watt University and Briggs of Burton engineers, technologies were developed in advance to capture the CO2 produced during fermentation and convert it into usable biogas.
The first phase of construction, which has now begun, includes a £7 million contract, after which the distillation plant itself is to be completed in 12 months. Distillation at Ardgowan Distillery is scheduled to start before the end of 2024. The total project is expected to cost a good 20 million pounds, create 47 new jobs and produce up to 1 million litres of whisky a year.
A beneficial collaboration
Martin McAdam, CEO of Ardgowan, said: “Partnering with Muir Construction for this first phase of the build is a major and very welcome step forward for us. It was imperative that we selected a contractor who shares the same values for sustainability. Muir’s experience constructing some of the finest Scotch Whisky distilleries open today, coupled with their hand in pioneering Scottish sustainability projects meant they were the perfect fit.”
And Managing Director Alan Muir of Muir Construction commented: "We are delighted to be given the opportunity by Ardgowan Distillery to join the delivery team in what is an exceptional distillery. Not only will this be at the forefront of distilling fine whisky, but it will also be an outstanding statement in visual design, something I’m sure we will all be proud of on completion. “Our construction team is very excited to get started on the first step in what we are sure will be an excellent ongoing relationship."
Images: Ardgowan Distillery via Spey.scot
