Scottish internet entrepreneur Bill Dobbie has emerged as the driving force behind a plan to develop the first legal distillery on the tiny Hebridean Isle of Raasay.
Mr Dobbie, who co-founded the Aim-listed web dating company Cupid, is behind R&B (Raasay & Borders) Distillers. The group expects to start construction on a new craft distillery this year after Mr Dobbie’s firm snapped up Borodale House – formerly the Isle of Raasay Hotel – to become the base of a small whisky distillery, hotel and visitor centre.
Mr Dobbie expects the venture, which will take 10 to 15 years to fully develop, will employ 12 people – or 10% of the isle’s population – in the next five years.
The firm also intends to work with Caledonian MacBrayne to offer distillery tour packages to the isle, which currently has no pubs or shops.
The firm’s website, rbdistillers.com went live this weekend. The venture also involves Mr Dobbie’s business partner, Alasdair Day, who produces a small batch limited edition blended whisky, Tweeddale.
