Scottish whisky maker Kilchoman is expanding both its distilling and geographical horizons after receiving permission to build a rum distillery on the island of Barbados.

After purchasing the derelict Bentley Mansion and nine acres of surrounding land on the Caribbean island in 2021, Islay-based Kilchoman has been granted planning permission to convert the site into a distillery. New buildings will be erected to house the distillery, a sugarcane mill, and a cask warehouse.

The team plan to purchase sugarcane from the fields surrounding the mansion and produce rum both from sugarcane juice and cane syrup. Distillation will take place on two copper pot stills, and the rum will be matured and bottled on-site.

Kilchoman co-founder Anthony Wills will be joining forces with Frank Ward, former managing director of Barbados' Mount Gay rum distillery, who will act as a consultant on the project and advise on production methods. The company plans to use its existing network of distributors to ship its premium rum around the world.

Wills said: "This is an exciting development for Kilchoman and we look forward to sharing more news as the project takes shape."