Plans to build a new single malt whisky distillery beside the Dornoch Firth have been lodged with Highland Council.
The Midfearn Distillery Company Ltd. (MDCL) are proposing to build their new site on the Midfearn Estate at Easter Fearn, three miles south-east of the village of Ardgay.
The location lies close to the site of a former distillery that first produced whisky here more than two centuries ago.
The plans will now undergo public scrutiny as part of the proposal process with the chance for local residents to have an initial, face-to-face consultation event at Edderton Village Hall on Wednesday, December 1st, followed by a virtual meeting.
Should the proposal be accepted MDCL would then be able to submit a detailed planning application.
Whisky was first made at Midfearn more than 200 years ago, with the Easter Fearn site found near to where the original Midfearn Distillery was believed to have been established in 1798 by local businessman, George Ross.
It closed just a few years later, with Mr Ross going on to work with other local distilling interests.
Current custodian of the family-owned Estate – run by the Brooke family since 1893 – Charlie Brooke, believes the distillery will be an important development in providing employment and economic benefit to the wider community.
He said: “The Scotch Whisky industry has advanced significantly since the opening of the first Midfearn Distillery and we will not only set out to make a distinctive and high-quality whisky, but we will prioritise environmental sustainability and work towards carbon neutrality at every stage of the project.
Midfearn Estate already provides electricity from existing wind and hydropower projects and the long-term sustainability of its energy source will form an important element of the distillery’s development.
Mr Brooke added: “This is a family business that will build and grow this enterprise on a beautiful site within the Dornoch Firth National Scenic Area and we look forward to working with the local community to return whisky-making to Easter Fearn, with all the benefits that will bring to the economy of the area.”
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