Kingsbarns Distillery officially open

The brand new Lowland distillery Kingsbarns is now officially open. The distillery is owned by the Wemyss family, who also run the independent bottler Wemyss Malts.

Here is the official press release for this happy occasion:

The Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre officially opened its doors to the public on Monday 1 December. The first visitor was the aptly named Mr. New, who lives locally and has watched the build with interest over the past year and a half.

Located in The East Neuk of Fife, Scotland and overlooking the world-renowned Kingsbarns Championship Golf Course, the arrival of this single malt distillery to the area officially marries together two of Scotland’s finest exports, golf and whisky and is the newest Lowland whisky distillery in the St Andrews area.

Director William Wemyss and Distillery Founder Douglas Clement marked the opening of the Distillery on St Andrews Day (Sunday 30 November) with an official plaque unveiling at a private event attended by industry leaders, close friends and family.

Internationally acclaimed musician James Yorkston who is from the area celebrated the occasion by performing an intimate set including a song penned specially for the occasion.

Speaking on behalf of the Wemyss family, Director William Wemyss commented:

“Since we bought the Kingsbarns project in 2013, it has been a very exciting year for us.  Building a whisky distillery is a once in a generation opportunity and we are looking forward to playing our part in bringing a reinvigoration to the Kingdom of Fife.”

The Scottish Government also supported the development with a European Food Processing and Marketing grant. Food Secretary Richard Lochhead said:

“I’d like to congratulate the Wemyss family and their investors for creating and opening The Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre here in Fife. This will provide a fantastic added tourist attraction for the many thousands of golf lovers who flock to the ‘Home of Golf’ at St Andrews each year.

“The Scottish Government, which provided support for this project through the Food Processing, Marketing and Cooperation Grant Scheme, welcomes this new distillery to the family of Scottish Craft Distilleries. As well as creating jobs, it will also further enhance the area in terms of tourism activity, bringing Whisky aficionados and golfers to this part of Fife.

“2015 is the Year of Food and Drink in Scotland: a time for us to celebrate our rich natural larder and incredible offering of some of the finest luxury products in the world. Our whisky is second to none and I have every confidence that The Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre will enrich our reputation for exceptional whisky offerings even further. I wish the Wemyss family the very best of luck in their endeavor.”

The new Kingsbarns Single Malt Scotch whisky will be classified in the Lowlands region and available after a minimum of three years maturation in oak casks.  Fife grown malted barley has been secured to make the spirit and it will be matured predominantly in ex-Bourbon casks.  The visitor centre offers a unique opportunity for guests to watch the process first-hand and be part of the history of the Kingsbarns Single Scotch Malt Whisky in the making.

Key members of the team include Peter Holroyd as Distillery Manager and the Distillery Founder Douglas Clement as Visitor Centre Manager.

Sláinte! - Thomas