Inverness welcomes first distillery and brewery for nearly 40 years as Uilebheist – Gaelic for monster – prepares for production using sustainable power of River Ness
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A new £6 million whisky distillery and brewery sustainably powered by water from the River Ness is expected to begin production by the end of this year.
Uilebheist – Gaelic for monster – is set to be one of the lowest carbon distilleries in the country when it opens at the Glen Mhor Hotel in Inverness.
The development, which will create about 40 jobs, was given the go-ahead earlier this year after previously-approved plans for a craft micro brewery were amended to include a distillery and associated visitor facilities.
The brewery’s five core beer styles will be available to buy in late November.
The Uilebheist Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky will be created as the core whisky product and will be released once matured, as will rare cask finishes and single cask bottlings in the years ahead.
Uilebheist owner, Jon Erasmus said the foundations of the project were born from Scottish myth and legend.
"We wanted to create something unique to the area, with the distillery, and brewery both powered by the famous River Ness," he said.
"All water used in the processes will also be sourced from the river, meaning that when you drink Uilebheist’s liquid, you really are tasting the Highlands.
"Creating both beer and whisky simultaneously will allow us to offer an immediate product and whilst we wait for the whisky to reach maturity, there will be an opportunity to own one of a limited number of casks of the Uilebheist Single Malt Whisky distilled in the first year of production, through our cask programme.
"Alongside exceptional beer and whisky, we aim to raise the bar when it comes to visitor experiences and hope that the project will lead the way for Scotland’s hospitality sector in the area.
"The centre will offer a range of tours and experiences ranging from site tours and sampling of our core whisky and craft beer products through to detailed master classes, blending workshops and food pairing menus."
The distillery, opening at the end of this year, is on track to be one of the lowest carbon distilleries in the country.
On-site heat pumps in the adjoined sustainability centre which are powered by the water from the River Ness will provide heating and hot water which is also distributed throughout the Glen Mhor Hotel complex.
The process will be the first of its kind in Scotland and further development stages are planned which will see significant expansions to the site.
The distillery and brewery will be headed up by Bruce Smith who has a masters degree in brewing and distilling from Heriot-Watt University and spent the last decade working in the craft beer industry and ageing beer in ex-whisky barrels.
"We are on track to officially open in November 2022 and begin beer production which visitors can enjoy in the taproom," he said.
"Whisky production will commence later this year, due to our small scale we will only produce around 200 casks annually, making Uilebheist one of the rarest whiskies in Scotland.
"The whisky will be matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks, but the whisky will let us know when it’s ready and we have no intention to rush it. Quality is our number one focus."
The Uilbeheist cask programme is an opportunity to own a cask of the Uilebheist Single Malt Whisky distilled in the first year of production.
Only 100 casks will be made available this year and they will be sold on a first come first served basis.
For more information and to register your interest, email casks@uilebheist.com.
