The Scottish Government has awarded nearly £1 million towards building a new malt whisky distillery and visitor centre in Inverclyde.

A total of £982,000 has been secured by Ardgowan Distillery towards construction costs for the £12m project. The scheme has already achieved full planning consent to transform a former sawmill on estate land near Inverkip.

Construction is planned to begin next year and completion is scheduled for 2020.

The funding was announced by Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing, at the AgriScot exhibition in Edinburgh today, 15 November.

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The award comes from the government’s Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation (FPMC) grant scheme.

Commenting on the award, distillery Chief Executive Officer Martin McAdam said: "The Scotch whisky industry supports over 40,000 jobs in Scotland, and is a vital component of Scotland’s ambitious food and drink growth strategy.

"This £12 million project will move Inverclyde up the rankings for food and drink production in Scotland. During construction the project will support 35 jobs and contribute over £2 million to the local economy.

"We are extremely grateful to the Scottish Government for their generous support, and to all others who have backed the project so far, especially the local community for their enthusiasm and encouragement."

(LM/MH)