Plans for a new distillery have been announced in a West Lothian village that features in the Outlander TV series.
The distillery in Abercorn will be on a historic estate next to Midhope Castle, the home of the character Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughan, on the popular television show.
A planning application has been submitted to West Lothain Council for the distillery by Midhope Castle Distillery Company and funding has said to be acquired from US investors.
The owners, The Hopetoun Estate, hope the new development will lead to a longer-term project involving the significant restoration and return to use of Midhope Castle, currently lying as an empty shell.
The distillery would exclusively use malting barley grown at Hopetoun Estate, which has a long tradition of supplying barley for the Scotch whisky industry.
A spokesperson for the Midhope Castle Distillery Company said: “We will set out to design and build a distillery that makes great whisky while addressing sustainability through every element of its architecture, its construction and its operation.
“With an innovative approach across the board we would aim to reduce our production carbon footprint to the absolute minimum, if not to zero.
“We believe that this approach goes hand in hand with producing a distinctive and characterful single malt Scotch Whisky capable of reflecting the qualities and traditions of one of Scotland’s great historic estates.”
Ex Diageo director Ken Robertson is listed as a director of Midhope Castle Distillery Company along with Julia Hall Mackenzie-Gilanders and Ann Medlock from whisky bottler, Golden Decanters.
The project architects are the Edinburgh-based 56three Architects and the overall project management is being delivered by the Edinburgh office of Currie & Brown.
