Robert Burns-linked estate to be turned into whisky distillery
The distillery will be built within the neglected walled garden of the A Listed Auchenbowie House, a property steeped in history.
READ MORE: Supermarket's Scottish gin named 'best in the world' at top awards ceremony
Once home to a 17th century laird who fled the country after a fatal duel, the house has welcomed notable figures including Robert Burns, who visited in 1787 and noted the occasion in his journal.
Bari Reid, director at Organic Architects, said: 'Receiving approval for this project is an important milestone, and we're excited to begin the work of bringing the Auchenbowie walled garden back into use.
'For decades, this area has stood empty and overgrown – but it has immense potential. Our design celebrates the character of the site and the rich history of the estate, while also delivering something new and relevant for today.
'The distillery buildings will sit within the garden walls like elegant Victorian greenhouses. At the heart of the design is a glass house overlooking a water garden, which doubles as a cooling system for the distillation process.
'It's a project where sustainability, heritage and craftsmanship come together — and we can't wait to see it take shape.'
READ MORE: Return of MV Caledonian Isles delayed again due to last minute issue
The approved development represents a multi-million pound investment in the area and is expected to create 15 direct jobs, with further opportunities through the wider local economy — particularly in agriculture, logistics, and hospitality.
The design of the distillery draws heavily on traditional forms, carefully balanced with contemporary elements.
A new organic garden will be planted within the walled area, adding to the site's biodiversity while supplying botanicals for spirit production.
The Auchenbowie project signals a welcome revival of distilling in a region that helped shape the early story of Scotch whisky.
Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with the distillery anticipated to start producing spirit in 2027.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside game-changing tunnel plans that could revolutionise Scotland's islands – from man behind Faroe Islands success
Andy Sloan, who is executive vice-president of engineering firm COWI, led the most recent Faroese tunnel project. TUNNEL VISION Inside game-changing tunnel plans that could revolutionise Scotland's islands – from man behind Faroe Islands success Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TUNNEL builder who revolutionised transport in the Faroe Islands has urged Scotland to see the light – as Shetland looks at swapping ferries for an undersea fix. The archipelago is looking into a new system that would serve five islands - including Unst, the most northernly British Isle. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Plans are being discussed that could transform Shetland Credit: Getty 3 From inside Eysturoyartunnlin, the most recent Faroe Islands' underwater tunnel. 3 Andy wants to see more ambition in Scotland. Andy Sloan, who is executive vice-president of engineering firm COWI, led the most recent Faroese tunnel project, making additions to the system with the world's only undersea roundabout, nicknamed the jellyfish. With 23 tunnels serving the country's 18 islands, the expert believes Shetland could be the first of many Scottish locations to get back on track by adopting a similar strategy. He said: 'It's fair to say that now there is a big belief that tunnels can be delivered in Shetland. 'I think if we deliver one in Shetland it will not be the last one in Scotland - because the benefits are tangible when you look at, not only the Faroe Islands, but Iceland and Norway as well. 'If we see the northern part of Scotland as being more Scandinavian, with a North Atlantic approach, then there's a completely normal mindset to invest in these types of communities. It's about archipelagos becoming more connected internally. 'It's not really an engineering argument, it's about whether island communities want to be connected. 'Arguably the Western Isles and Orkney may want tunnels - and it would be feasible - but whether they want it is for the local folks to decide.' Andy estimates a tunnel could take up to six years to be built - with half for the planning stages and the other half on the building process after breaking ground. His firm is currently advising Shetland Islands Council on the technicalities and financing of tunnels as part of a £990,000 feasibility study looking at connecting Shetland's main island Lerwick with four outlying isles – Unst, Yell, Bressay and Whalsay. The 'tunnel vision' public meetings with locals will continue as the council's consultants create an outline business case to look at the options in more detail. Faroe Islands: Travel Destination There are ferry services to nine islands, costing £23million per yet to carry around 750,000 passengers on 12 vessels. But the average age of the ships has topped 30 and ticket prices continue to rise, making it more difficult for passengers to justify their movements. The notoriously unpredictable Scottish weather is also a major problem due to the number of journeys that are cancelled throughout the year. Andy is adamant Shetland needs a more robust system for imports and exports and that's it's time to show real ambition. And despite having a population of just 23,000, Shetland is punching way above its weight - as its home to the UK's only spaceport and lands more fish than the whole of England, Northern Ireland and Wales. He said: 'What the Faroese have done is massively ambitious. They started with a vision that was underpinned by a consideration or expectation that it would be of benefit to the country and society to be connected to the economic hub of the islands. 'So I see parallels in that with Shetland where Lerwick is demonstrably the economic hub of the island. 'There's been lack of ambition in Scotland for sure and maybe it's time that we considered how we want to invest, protect and enhance the folk outside of the central belt and up the east coast. 'I've worked all around the world on tunnels and I do think people are quite passionate that we - as little engineers - could make a difference to society by building tunnels here and it's just about cajoling the politicians to to move in that direction. 'We're about to start a piece of work to advise Shetland Isles Council on how they should move forward through planning and design. 'There's no point building something that folk don't want. But if the council and the people of Shetland want this, then why not give them a hand to try and get it over the line?' Developments are expected next year once a detailed report has been filed. The question of finances is also an important one - with the belief that money borrowed to build the tunnels could be paid back by introducing tolls. Tolls were abolished on the Skye Bridge in 2004, and were ditched on the Forth and Tay road bridges in 2008. But Andy is in no doubt that tunnels are something that people will dig. It's also particularly important for more remote locations as better transport connections allow those living in smaller settlements to work in the economic hubs and prevent people moving away for a brighter future. He explained: 'Once you create a tunnel it's there forever. So you've not got repeated cycles of ferry replacement - and that has to be compared with a bigger upfront cost. 'Tunnels could be a real difference maker for lots of people and communities all over Scotland.'
Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Scotsman
Frankly, the worst revelations are in Scotland's official statistics
PA This year's GERS read more like a horror story Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Last week the most shocking revelations about Scottish politics came to light. It should leave us worried. It should make us angry. Based on hard facts rather than unsubstantiated tittle-tattle and tasteless rumours, the evidence cannot be treated lightly or dismissed as wild imaginings. I write, of course, about the Government Expenditure and Revenue (GERS) report for 2024/25 that deserved to be taken more seriously than competing publications claiming to be fact but having all the look of wild fiction. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This year's GERS read more like a horror story worthy of Robert Louis Stevenson (Jekyll and Hyde) or Edgar Alan Poe (The House of Usher) than a dry statistical perambulation around Scotland's public spending and tax revenues. Back in 2019/20 only five years ago – public spending in Scotland was £82.8bn, yet it is £117.6bn today. That is an explosive increase of 42 per cent in just five years. If the rate of spending growth had risen in line with inflation it would have been £103bn this year. The additional £14.6bn has gone on what exactly? The increase in public spending last year alone was by 5.5 per cent – double the rate of inflation – reaching a total per household of £44,882. These sordid economic facts should be the stuff of festival fringe dramas where tragedy and comedy of the absurd is employed to explore the scheming, evasion, and delusion of SNP politicians taking decisions that cost us millions that amount to billions. Plays such as 'Who pays the Ferry, man?' or 'Recycling for Dummies' would look at great schemes that even now are still costing huge sums with no end in sight. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Just yesterday the Scotsman reported exclusively the willingness of Scottish Government politicians to test our public finances to destruction. Having established (late as usual) their shiny new political toy, called the Scottish Benefits Agency, the wilful deviation from how things are done in the rest of Britain means the Scottish taxpayer could be on the hook for an additional £36 million. Why? By not seeking to collect overpayments or errors in benefit pay-outs. Of course, were the Scottish dis-Benefits Agency to not deviate from the norm then the obvious question would be why did we create our own new bureaucracy in the first place? So we can expect more of these policies, higher or different 'benefits' than what were paid out before, at greater cost. And all from a pool of money that the Scottish Government does not have. Remember, the Scottish public finances are spent up to the limit, with any budget underspends quickly reallocated to other departments rather than returned to the taxpayer as a rebate against the next year's taxes. The public borrowing that is available is also maxed-out – which is exactly why the no new borrowing powers should be allowed, it would simply be used to extend the line of credit to an even higher amount rather than more properly provide the headroom for emergencies such as pandemics or disaster relief. Why has it come to all this? The cast of characters is substantial, not just the current finance minister Shona Robison, but stretching back to Kate Forbes, Douglas Mackay and John Swinney – all have had a hand. Presenting their past claims and contrasting them with the reality would hardly make great Fringe comedy, for no one would be laughing – although the potential of exploring the well-being economy devised by Kate Forbes could provide many ironic jaw dropping moments. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Record drug-related deaths anyone? Scottish education standards in English, maths and science falling against those of other countries where we previously built schools and taught the masses? The Book Festival could interview past ministers on how it became possible for Scots pupils to gain English qualifications without having read a novel. We should all be deeply concerned about the waste of money, the rush to book international receptions, the offices we don't need, the staff complement that only knows how to grow and where redundancies are not allowed. The free bus travel with daily excursions to shoplifting centres for under twenty-fives. Improv stand-up could take a new form of spontaneous dialogue delivered by foregoing actors and picking participants from the audience to have a serious discourse around a staged kitchen table. Hard questions could be asked with the actors role-playing the politicians but only allowed to ad-lib their answers – as making it all up seems to be how it's normally done anyway. Likewise, documentaries on devolved disasters could be made for Film Festival premiers. What GERS tells us is that while the UK public finances are bad (and yes, I have written about that too) they are but a pale imitation of the depressing Scottish public finances. When devolution commenced the size of the Scottish state accounted for 43 per cent of the economy. Now the tartan behemoth is a swaggering 55.4 per cent of GDP before oil, falling marginally to 52 per cent when including oil revenues. It is unsustainable without a sponsor, and that sponsor just happens to be Westminster. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The message from GERS is simple but indisputable; until nationalists can show they can deliver a dynamic, vibrant, prosperous, revenue-raising, job-creating economy the path to secession cannot be found because it does not exist. Ironically, if Holyrood were to come to its senses by the electorate giving it an administration that seeks to live within its means by eliminating waste and allowing compulsory redundancies then the economy could transform. Taxes could be reduced, the economic activity could rise and Scotland's wellbeing would be happy again – just not the way the current politicians would like it. It could even make separation possible, but then why would we want to? Frankly, Holyrood is a farce presented as a pantomime – and no one can rewrite any differently.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Vibrant Scottish town with some of UK's cheapest houses is packed with 'charming' streets
This town in East Ayrshire, Scotland, has been named one of the most affordable places to live in the UK, with locals praising its vibrant shopping scene and friendly atmosphere An historic town in East Ayrshire has been crowned one of the UK's most affordable places to live, with locals praising its bustling shopping scene and welcoming atmosphere. Property website Rightmove has ranked Kilmarnock as Scotland's top spot for first-time buyers, offering average house prices significantly below the national average. Rightmove reports that homes in Kilmarnock have sold for an average of £154,688 over the past year. Flats have been snapped up for an average of £75,868, while semi-detached properties have commanded £161,391 and terraced houses £115,793. Prices have risen by seven per cent compared to 2024 and are four per cent higher than the 2022 peak. This news comes after images show the cheapest seaside spot in England is full of abandoned £40k homes 'nobody wants'. Home to over 47,000 people, Kilmarnock's housing costs are more than five times lower than London, where the average flat will set you back a whopping £590,543. The town's blend of cultural heritage, green spaces and retail options has made it a popular choice for homebuyers. Kilmarnock is home to a wealth of cultural landmarks, including Scotland's largest Burns Monument, the Dick Institute and the Palace Theatre. The town centre boasts a range of independent shops as well as popular high street brands, reports the Daily Record. The tourism board Visit Scotland has described Bank Street as: "a charming cobbled street in the historic core, with the elegant John Finnie Street boasting one of the best examples of provincial Victorian architecture in Scotland." The board also spotlighted Dean Castle and Country Park as "a fantastic day out for all the family" and commended the Burns Monument Centre's picturesque location in Kay Park. For many locals, the town's charm and easy access are its main attractions. Andrew Reith, 41, who runs Zenith Coins and has been working in Kilmarnock for five years, said: "The town has some nice parks, and there are a few spots for public entertainment. The shopping area is quite popular, and both tourists and locals enjoy wandering around it. "What I feel is that the town could benefit from a couple of large organisations, such as factories, to create more job opportunities for people living in the area." However, not everyone shares this positive view. One local told The Express: "Many people in Kilmarnock rely on Government benefits and lack ambition and zeal to work. "Most people are looking to send their children to the schools in Troon which is around 15 to 20 minutes away from Kilmarnock and is home to some of the most affluent people in the town." While some streets offer homes priced between £75,000 and £84,000, others feature properties worth £500,000. Tracey Oakley, a property adviser with Donald Ross Residential, noted: "Kilmarnock is a huge area and it would not be right to say that the houses are cheap [everywhere] here. The town is not very far from Glasgow and has a lovely shopping centre. "The properties which are put on the market are being sold in just two to six weeks, showing its popularity among the buyers." East Ayrshire Council says the town's energy is being enhanced by regeneration initiatives. David McDowall, head of economic growth, said: "We are happy to see Kilmarnock is featuring as one of the more economical places to live. "Over the past 15 years, our Regeneration and Business Support teams have attracted investment to enable the redevelopment of the town new life into the town's conservation area." He added that Kilmarnock has "weathered the storm of closures of the mass industries such as whisky bottling, shoe making, carpet making, textiles and heavy engineering" and is now "experiencing a resurgence" with new small and medium enterprises.
