New Islay distillery takes shape

[Kate]

After months of waiting in anticipation, building work on the first new distillery on Islay since 1883 is underway and should be completed in July. Kilchoman Distillery as it will be known, is situated on the western coast of the island, close to Machir Bay.
The traditional stone farm buildings on the site are being renovated to house the distillery. This project is the brainchild of Anthony Willis, who currently runs a company specialising in single cask whiskies based in Argyll.
His idea is to take whisky production back to its roots to when production was part of the farming year – growing and malting the barley and producing and maturing the whisky all on site. There are also plans for a visitor centre and café.
For those who want a sneak preview, Kilchoman will be hosting an event on 31st May as part of the Islay festival. See pages 36-37 for more details on the festival.