Plans for a new distillery near Ormiston, East Lothian, have recently been revealed. Dissident Spirits purchased former agricultural land and buildings at East Mains 12 months ago and have submitted their plans to East Lothian Council.
The group behind the proposed distillery is led by Jack Mayo and Ollie Salvesen, who bring with them extensive distilling experience from working at Holyrood Distillery and Bruichladdich respectively, as well as having a background in distilling consultancy.
Two buildings were included in the land that was purchased, with the larger of the two earmarked for production facilities and offices with the other being used for onsite cask maturation.
Ollie and Jack are driven by a flavour-led approach to whisky making and oppose the current “homogenisation and industrialisation across distilleries.” According to a document included in the planning application, they aim “to build a technically modern distillery, designed entirely in house by us, that has a fundamental focus on flavour, provenance and sustainability.”
It continues: “Our background has allowed us to challenge every assumption in the making of whisky and apply modern thinking and novel techniques in the pursuit of greater flavour, character and complexity.”
While whisky making will be the primary focus of the new distillery, there are also plans to produce small batches of gin and other spirits. Additionally, the plans also include their intention to plant wildflowers and have four beehives on the site.
At the time of writing the application is still under consideration by East Lothian Council, with a decision expected to be made by early March.
If approved, the new distillery will help bolster the local economy. Approximately a dozen jobs are expected to be created within seven years once production starts. Local businesses will also benefit from the potentially increased in tourism in the area (although we are currently unsure of the extent of plans for a visitor centre, if any exist).
In recent years we have seen a huge ‘boom’ period for Lowland whisky. The aforementioned Holyrood Distillery released their inaugural single malt in late-2023, while their Edinburgh neighbour Port of Leith started production around the same time. Fife’s Kingsbarns and Lindores Abbey have become firm favourites, and The Glasgow Distillery (where Jack Mayo has also previously worked) continues to impress.
East Lothian is already home to Glenkinchie in Pencaitland, and time will tell if Dissident Spirits and Eydent Distillers will add to an already impressive roster of Lowland distilleries.
