Ardgowan Distillery took a major step closer to whisky production with the arrival of two copper stills to its site near Inverkip.
The distillery plans to commence operations early in the new year, with the aim of making one million litres of single malt Scotch annually.
The bespoke stills made the journey across the Central Belt from McMillan Coppersmiths in Prestonpans, near Edinburgh.
Standing at 6.4 metres and 5.4 metres tall, with a capacity of 12,000 litres for the wash still and 9,000 for the spirit still, the stills are designed with both spirit character and energy efficiency in mind. They incorporate thermal vapour recompression technology, which compresses and reintroduces steam into the process to reduce energy waste and supports Ardgowan’s mission to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the next five years.
The distillery building itself also reflects Ardgowan’s commitment to sustainability, with a roof constructed from 97% recycled aluminium, steel trusses containing 64% recycled steel, and insulation made entirely from post-consumer recycled plastics.
Commenting on the arrival of the stills, Ardgowan’s CEO Martin McAdam said: “This occasion is critically important to our company, it is a measure of how far we have progressed. The stills will be installed in the coming days, and the process of bringing Ardgowan Distillery to life now begins.
“I would like to thank the team at McMillan Coppersmiths. Creating our beautiful stills requires amazing skills, and they are truly works of art. The coppersmiths have not just shaped metal but are weaving centuries of Scottish whisky-making tradition into every curve and contour of these beautiful vessels.”
