- Ardnahoe Distillery, Isle Of Islay -

The £14 million distillery and visitor centre, owned by independent bottler Hunter Laing, is the first to be built on the Scottish island since 2005.

Situated on Islay’s north east coast, close to Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila distilleries and with panoramic views across the Sound of Islay to Jura, Ardnahoe is expected to attract 20,000 visitors each year.

Although the distillery began producing spirit in October 2018, and filled its first cask on 9 November, it officially opens today (12 April), with special guests from across the island and Hunter Laing business expected to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Ardnahoe was first granted planning permission in September 2016, with work starting on the site in the same year.

It has created 25 full and part-time jobs across the distillery and visitor centre.

The family-owned company, led by Stewart Laing and his sons Andrew and Scott, selected Islay as the location for its first whisky distillery due to Stewart’s family connections to the island, as well as the growing demand for Islay whisky.