Ambitious plans by Douglas Laing & Co.

Renowned independent bottler Douglas Laing & Co. has just announced its most ambitious plans including the construction of a new malt whisky distillery in the very heart of Glasgow. 

The £10.7m project will see the construction of a new malt whisky distillery, Visitor Centre, a bar and bistro, company offices, research and blending laboratory but also bonded warehouses and a whisky bottling plant. The complex will be situated at one of the most prestigious locations at Pacific Quay on the banks of the river Clyde. The distillery will get its water through a pipeline from Loch Katrine, and the 300 tonnes of barley will be supplied by Scottish farmers. The project will be partially financed also by the Scottish government through the Food Processing Marketing and Co-operation (FPMC) grant scheme. 

According to Cara Laing, the Director of Whisky, a privately the granddaughter of the legendary Fred Douglas Laing, Company’s founder, the distillery will have an “initial capability of producing considerably more than 100,000 litres of alcohol per annum,” and the whole project will create up to 38 new jobs. 

Douglas Laing is yet another independent bottler who sees their future not only in bottling whiskies manufactured by others, but wants to get involved in the production side as well. In recent years a similar move has been done by Adelphi (Ardnamurchan distillery in Ardnamurchan) and Wemyss Malts (Kingsbarns distillery in Fife). The available long-established distilleries had already been purchased by others – Gordon & MacPhail (Benromach distillery) and Signatory (Edradour distillery), to mention just a few. Hunter Laing is currently building Ardnahoe on Islay. Who’s going to be next?