The group behind the Clan Campbell blend have applied for planning permission to build a new distillery and visitor centre at Inveraray Castle. Stock Spirits Group submitted the application in partnership with Argyll Estates and are expected to invest £25 million into the potential project.
The Poland-based drinks company purchased the Clan Campbell brand from Pernod Ricard last year. While it is not the most well-known name in the UK, the whisky is fairly successful in continental Europe. Clan Campbell sold an impressive 1.3 million nine-litre cases in France alone last year, and it has recently been launched in Germany and the Czech Republic.
At the time of the purchase, Stock Spirits CEO Jean-Christophe Coutures said the acquisition marks an “important step” in the group’s expansion into Western Europe.
The plans indicate that the 950 square meter distillery will have a substantial 2 million litre annual production capacity. Construction on the site is hoped to begin in 2025, with the first spirit flowing in 2027. However these plans are still subject to approval.
Clan Campbell will likely be the main beneficiary of the new distillery. While the facility will be a single malt distillery, it is expected that much of its output will go towards the Clan Campbell blend.
Courtes noted that the importance of the group controlling its own single malt production, which in turn “will strengthen the Clan Campbell brand and Stock Spirits’ presence in this growing category”.
The as-yet unnamed distillery will bring an economic boost to the area. Local companies and suppliers will be used to help construct the distillery, while the development is projected to create more then 20 full-time jobs.
Additionally, the site will utilise environmentally conscious technologi es with the aim of being a carbon neutral distillery.
Inveraray Castle was not an arbitrary choice for the location of the distillery. The castle has been the seat of the Duke of Argyll - the chief of Clan Campbell - since the 18th century.
Purchasing Clan Campbell and the plans for a new single malt distillery are part of Stock Spirits’ wider plan for expansion across many different spirits categories. Last year the group also acquired French distributor Dugas and and Polish vodka producer Polmos Bielsko-Biała.
