Benromach Distillery in Forres has been given permission to build 11 new cask warehouses in an effort to keep pace with demand for its whisky.
The resurgent business has been gaining in popularity since its rebirth in 1998 and has seen its exports increase year-on-year.
Yesterday, Moray Council’s planning committee unanimously backed the distillery’s expansion.
The warehouses will more than double the available space for spirit to be set down to mature – creating the equivalent floor space of seven football pitches.
Owners Gordon and MacPhail said the warehouses are part of a long-term vision for the brand, which has enjoyed a surge in overseas sales in recent years.
Planning committee chairman David Bremner said: “This proposal reinforces the importance of the whisky industry here and shows the long-term commitment of a global player in the industry for the benefit of the local economy.
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“I’m convinced that this significant investment will instill further confidence in Moray’s future economic growth, which is a key priority for this council.”
Heldon and Laich councillor John Cowe added: “This distillery was mothballed for a number of years. The brand is now gaining in popularity, with exports increasing year on year.
“This site was a floodplain but is now protected by the flood scheme. It’s a large investment and is very welcome.”
The plan includes “substantial” landscaping to screen the warehouses from wider view.
Benromach can trace its roots in Forres back to 1898.
The distillery produced whisky until the 1980s when it was closed under the ownership of Scottish Malt Distillers.
The Urquhart family bought it in 1993 before it was officially reopened by the Duke of Rothesay in 1998 following extensive renovation.