Ardgowan, the first new distillery to operate in Inverclyde for over a century, has announced the filling of its first cask since building concluded earlier this month.

Founded in Inverkip village in 2017, the west coast firm is led by whisky entrepreneur Roland Grain and distillery manager Laura Davies, who have a combined experience spanning over seven decades in whisky.

Following eight years of development, planning and construction, the new single malt distillery marks a new chapter for whisky-making in the region. Until now, the last distillery to operate in Inverclyde was destroyed in the Greenock Blitz in May 1941.

“After a lengthy build, the team and I are thrilled to now be in full production and filling casks with our own distillate, including private casks for our Clan Ardgowan members,” Grain said.

“Ardgowan’s ultimate goal is to revive the golden age of Scotch whisky with long Sherry cask maturation in European oak.”

Featuring a Scandinavian longhouse design and striking recycled aluminium roof, the distillery has its sights set on producing top quality whisky and striving for carbon neutrality.

Sustainability was a top consideration throughout, with green technologies, including Thermal Vapour Recompression (TVR) which recycles heat waste, a key part of construction.

Also notable is the distillery’s signature ‘Infinity Casks’. These are oak casks which have hosted Sherry for three years prior to production commencing and are intended for maturation periods of 18 years or more.

Grain added: “Our commitment to quality is demonstrated by investing millions of pounds in our signature Infinity Casks years before the distillery was built. These bespoke oak casks were created exclusively by renowned ​Bodegas Miguel Martín and Macallan’s former master of wood Stuart MacPherson. Producing whisky is all about time and patience, so as we fill our first casks and open the site to the public, we look forward to steadily perfecting our Single Malt in the years to come.”

The distillery was officially opened to the public on Friday 20 June.