A £6 million whisky distillery and brewery in the heart of Inverness is expected to up and running before the end of 2022.
It will be called Uilebheist, which is Gaelic for “monster”.
The entrepreneur behind it, north hotelier Jon Erasmus, said the “brewstillery” would help to “raise the bar” for tourism in the Highland capital, while creating about 40 jobs.
Located at Glen Mhor Hotel, on Ness Bank, the new development is now at the fit-out stage and will soon become home to the first operational whisky distillery in Inverness for nearly 40 years.
On the beer-making side, it is hoped the brewery’s five core styles will be available to buy in late November.
The distillery is on track to be one of the lowest carbon whisky production sites in Scotland.
Onsite heat pumps in an adjoining “sustainability centre” will be powered by water from the River Ness.
Heat and hot water produced will be used in the production facility and throughout the Glen Mhor hotel complex in a process expected to be the first of its kind in this country.
The distillery and brewery will be led by Bruce Smith, who boasts a masters degree in brewing and distilling from Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, and has spent the past decade working in the craft beer industry, ageing products in ex-whisky barrels.
A single malt named Uilebheist will be developed as the core whisky and released once matured, with rare cask finishes and single cask bottlings emerging in the years ahead.
The new distillery will make available 100 casks of single malt from the first year of production, with buyers able to purchase them on a first-come, first-served basis.
Plans for the “visitor experience” include site tours, beer and whisky sampling, production master classes, blending workshops and food pairing menus.
Scottish myths and legends are a key theme of the overall project and Mr Erasmus said these would be used for storytelling around Uilebheist’s products once the site is open to visitors.
He added: “We wanted to create something unique to the area, with the distillery and brewery both powered by the famous River Ness.
“All water used in the processes will also be sourced from the river, meaning that when you drink Uilebheist’s liquid, you really are tasting the Highlands.
“Creating both beer and whisky simultaneously will allow us to offer an immediate product.
“Whilst we wait for the whisky to reach maturity, there will be an opportunity to own one of a limited number of casks of the Uilebheist single malt distilled in the first year of production.”
He continued: “Alongside exceptional beer and whisky, we aim to raise the bar when it comes to visitor experiences and hope the project will lead the way for Scotland’s hospitality sector in the area.”
Mr Smith, who spent more than three years as head of brewing and production at Edinburgh-based beer-maker Innes & Gunn, said: “We are on track to officially open in November 2022 and begin beer production which visitors can enjoy in the taproom.
“Whisky production will commence later this year – due to our small scale we will only produce around 200 casks annually, making Uilebheist one of the rarest whiskies in Scotland.”
Mr Smith added: “The whisky will be matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks, but it will let us know when it’s ready and we have no intention to rush it. Quality is our number one focus.”
We aim to raise the bar when it comes to visitor experiences and hope the project will lead the way for Scotland’s hospitality sector in the area.”
Mr Erasmus owns Glen Mhor Hotel and is also a co-owner of The Boat Country Inn and Restaurant in Boat of Garten, Seaforth Inn, Ullapool, and MacKays Hotel in Pitlochry.
He said he had no intention of Uilebheist becoming “the next BrewDog” or shipping large volumes of whisky.
Its drinks are aimed at the craft market, with future production remaining small-scale, he added.
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