Scotland’s First Crowdfunded Distillery Opens

GlenWyvis Distillery checked off a few “first” boxes when it opened its doors last week. By going operational, it became the first distillery in its particular part of the Highlands in nine decades. It’s also classed as Scotland’s first 100% green distillery. Finally, it is the first distillery in Scotland that was (for practical purposes) entirely crowdfunded.

The £3.8m ($5.1m) distillery project began in Dingwall, Scotland in 2015, and quickly became a major local project, with 3,000 area residents investing in it. The plant is powered by a wind power turbine, hydro-electric and solar panels, with heat for the steam running the stills provided by a wood chip-burning boiler.

Project leader John McKenzie is the managing director, with investor and former Mortlach distiller Duncan Tait serving as master distiller.