New distillery opened

The Isle of Harris distillery was formally opened today (Thurs), the culmination of a seven-year drive to establish the island’s first commercial whisky distillery.

Set to bring a significant economic boost to Harris, the distillery presently employs around a dozen staff with the aim of 20 jobs at its peak.

The equivalent of 300,000 bottles a year of a “super premium” single malt called Hearach - the Gaelic term for a native resident of Harris - will be produce but this will not be available for a number of years during its maturation.

First spirit to be produced is actually is a gin which is seaweed infused from local kelp to add to its character. Just over 1,000 bottles have been made in the initial batch, on sale for £35 a bottle.

Built on infilled land between a Harris Tweed craft workshop and the ferry berth at Tarbert, the distillery is financed by a total of £8.3m in shares' equity and £3.1m from grants, attracting support from 17 investors in Europe, the US and the Far East.

Three generations of the island’s people took the leading role at the opening ceremony, each throwing a caoirean or small peat onto a fire in the visitor centre to symbolise firing up the whisky stills.

Retired deputy Lord Lieutenant of the Western Isles John Murdo Morrison, the distillery’s guest team manager Shona Macleod, and children from Harris’s two primary schools - Niel Macleod and Emmma Passmore - who have been working on a project on the new distillery, were chosen to perform the opening ceremony.

Managing director Simon Erlanger said: “Our story is absolutely connected to island life. Its about the people of Harris and we want to show that in the celebrations for our opening.”

Director Ron MacEachran said: "The jobs created here are not just for the next ten years but jobs for generations to come.

Exporting 80% of the distillery's output across the world would raise the profile of Harris as a tourist destination.

Chairman and Founder of IHD Anderson Bakewell said: “It is on this special island that conditions prevail for the production and maturation of a unique and exceedingly fine malt whisky.

"As if that was not enough, we have every expectation that it should inspire creative initiatives - entrepreneurial, cultural and social- for the benefit of the island’s future, helping to retain those here and attract back those who left.”

Unlike some larger distilleries, it intends to mature and bottle the whisky on the island rather than ship it out to mainland bases for the finishing process, in a bid to create extra employment on Harris.

Whisky will made from water from Abhainn na Leig which tumbles down the rocky hillside to Tarbert.

the fire in the distillery foyer, symbolising the warmth of Harris hospitality as well as playing an important part in the flavour of whisky. A speech was made to assembled guests by the Chairman and Founder Mr Bakewell who had the vision some years ago to create the distillery. “I had often wondered if it would be possible to put the essence of Harris in a bottle”, said Anderson, “so a distillery was the natural answer.”

The distillery was later thrown open for guests to walk around and get a close-up view of the operation for themselves before gathering for refreshments in the distillery canteen – and a first taste of the distillery’s own production.

Isle of Harris Distillers will be producing the equivalent of 300,000 bottles a year of its single malt The Hearach, the Gaelic word for an inhabitant of Harris, but this will not be available for a number of years during its maturation.

However, the Company will also be producing a highly distinctive gin which has been given a unique Harris character by the inclusion of Sugar Kelp harvested from the seas off the island and guests were able to sample this innovative product for the first time at the opening. The gin will only be on sale direct from the distillery as part of the Company’s desire to build as close personal relationships with consumers as possible.

And how else could a day of island celebrations end but with a traditional ceilidh held in the company’s warehouse. The whole population of the island, all 1,916, were invited to the ceilidh, again emphasising the Company’s position at the heart of the community to which it belongs.

The day was organised and supported by the distillery’s new employees, nicknamed locally The Tarbert Ten, who have been appointed in the first tranche of jobs created by the project.

Guests came from around the world for the opening, including its investors and other stakeholders who have been drawn to the project both by its uniqueness in producing the first Harris malt, thus helping to open up a new whisky region of Scotland, and by its social importance to the community.

The company has raised a total of £8.3m in equity and £3.1m from grants, attracting finance from 17 investors in Europe, the US and the Far East. In addition to an equity investment of £1.5m from the Scottish Investment Bank, the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise, the project has been backed by £1.9m in public funding from the Scottish Government’s Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation scheme and £1.3m from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Whisky is loved around the world and many island communities already reap the benefits of having a distillery through sustaining jobs, attracting visitors and supporting tourism businesses. I’m delighted to see the distillery open and am sure that the whisky will develop a great reputation for quality.”

Alex Paterson, Chief Executive of HIE,

Distillery director Ron MacEachran

New £12 million distillery opens

24 September 2015