New Highland distillery smashes crowdfunding target - raising £2.3m to accelerate build
Sutherland-based distillers, bottlers and blenders The Thompson Brothers recently announced the closing of their hugely successful crowdfunding campaign, with a final figure of £2,395,125 from 720 investors, a whopping 129% of their original goal.
The campaign will help fund the construction of the Struie Distillery, a cutting-edge sustainable distillery located in Dornoch, fewer than 200 meters from their current site, Dornoch Distillery.
This ambitious project aims to redefine the future of whisky production while boosting the local economy and advancing sustainable industry practices.
The new distillery will have a production capacity far exceeding the original Dornoch distillery.
Struie Distillery will produce up to 20 times more than the Dornoch Single Malt whisky, building on the success of the current operation at Dornoch Distillery, which has seen continued oversubscription with every release and will run alongside the new development.
Every aspect of production except malting will be handled on-site, from liquid creation to blending, bottling, labelling, and shipping. The new distillery will also create 10 new jobs in the local area, further supporting the community.
Phil and Simon Thompson, reflecting on the success of the Crowdfunding campaign, said: "We are overwhelmed by the support from our community and investors.
'Surpassing our funding target not only validates our vision but also accelerates our journey toward establishing Struie Distillery as a beacon of sustainability in the global whisky industry."
'This marks a significant milestone for us and we're excited to go forward and break ground with a further 720 investors behind us.'
The new distillery, designed by Leask Architects, will feature patent-pending technology and renewable energy sources, ensuring zero carbon emissions through scope one and two.
The project is also expected to significantly boost the local economy, creating new jobs and engaging the estimated 12,000 annual visitors to the region that's home of the distillery, Dornoch Castle hotel and its world-famous whisky bar, and The Royal Dornoch Golf Club Championship Course, rated one of the best golf courses in the world.
The crowdfunding campaign is part of an overall raise of £5m into Thompson Independent Traders Limited, the group that consists of Dornoch Castle Hotel, Dornoch Distillery Company Limited, Thompson Bros Independent bottling and blending as well as the new distillery development, Struie Distillery. The additional money will come from a combination of new and existing investors via a series A fundraise.
For more information about Struie Distillery and The Thompson Bros., please visit their website.
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