The First Minister for Scotland, John Swinney, has opened Loch Lomond Group’s “multi-million pound” Luss Distillery and visitor centre this week.
The company, which welcomed Swinney to the site yesterday (2 February), described the facility as “one of the most significant new whisky tourism investments in Scotland in recent years”. The distiller anticipates up to 1m people will visit the centre this year.
“Scotland’s spirits sector is facing challenging times, which makes continued investment more important than ever,” said CEO Colin Matthews. “As one of the largest independent distillers in Scotland, we remain steadfast in our commitment to quality, history, authenticity and innovation
“We will continue to play a prominent role in developing scotch whisky and the wider spirits industry to ensure it remains relevant, exciting and appealing to modern consumers.”
Matthews, who is also a council member of the Scotch Whisky Association, added: “We call on the first minister and colleagues across the political spectrum to continue their strong support for this great historic industry and the meaningful contribution it makes to Scotland and the wider UK.”
The official opening this week follows the distillery’s ‘soft’ opening in October last year. The 5,362 square-metre site, on the banks of Loch Lomond, was converted from a smokehouse and features four key areas: a retail space, an immersive whisky and gin discovery zone, a café and the Ben Lomond Gin distillery (above).
It will serve as the brand home for Loch Lomond’s whiskies and a production site for Ben Lomond gin, while also showcasing the group’s other brands, including Glen Scotia and Littlemill.
In May, the company headed across the Atlantic to purchase The New York Distilling Co.
