Loch Lomond Group has started construction on a new distillery and visitor centre in Luss, Dumbartonshire, with completion anticipated for summer 2025.
Plans for the 5,362sq m site on the banks of Loch Lomond will see the old Luss smokehouse and surrounding land on Church Road transformed into a mixed-use development with the new distillery and visitor centre at its heart.
The multi-million-pound development will offer guided tours of the distillery, a premium food and drink offering and a retail space housing the full range of the group’s whisky brands – Loch Lomond, Glen Scotia, and Littlemill – as well as Ben Lomond Gin products.
Colin Matthews, founder and CEO of Loch Lomond Group, said the development marked another major milestone for the business.
“The investment comes despite the challenges facing our industry and it reflects our confidence in the local community and the long-term resilience of Scotch whisky and distilling in Scotland,” he said. “However, it comes at a time when the UK government’s ill-conceived tax hikes, broken promises of support, and unfair regulations are creating major obstacles for distilling in Scotland to remain competitive.”
Matthews, who is also director of the Scotch Whisky Association, called on the government to “change course urgently” and take a common-sense approach to supporting the whisky industry, thereby enabling job creation and economic growth, and ensuring fair competition globally.
He concluded: “Scotland’s spirits are sold to the world, and that should not be taken for granted by our government. It’s time for real change and real action, not just empty words and broken promises.”
