Crowdfunder for new Struie eco-distillery in Dornoch smashes target with almost £2.4m raised in bid to cut emissions in single malt whisky production
A crowdfunder set up to build a new trailblazing eco-distillery in Dornoch has smashed its initial target of £1.85 m, raising almost £2,400,000 from 720 investors.
Simon and Phil Thompson, who are behind the independent bottling brand Thompson Brothers and whose family owns the Dornoch Castle Hotel, hit a milestone in their project to build Struie Distillery, a production site aiming to cut down carbon emissions in whisky-making to zero .
The brothers started whisky production from their current site, Dornoch Distillery, in 2017, however the new plant, which will be located only 200 meters away from the existing site, will allow them to increase the production of single malt whisky by 20-fold.
Phil and Simon Thompson, reflecting on the success of the Crowdfunding campaign, which was launched in March this year, commented: "We are overwhelmed by the support from our community and investors. Surpassing our funding target not only validates our vision but also accelerates our journey toward establishing Struie Distillery as a beacon of sustainability in the global whisky industry.
“This marks a significant milestone for us and we’re excited to go forward and break ground with a further 720 investors behind us.”
Every aspect of production except malting will be handled on-site, from the production of the spirit to blending, bottling, labelling, and shipping.
They added that the new distillery will also create 10 new jobs in the area.
The new distillery, designed by Leask Architects, will feature patent-pending technology and renewable energy sources to ensure zero carbon emissions through scope one and two.
The project is also expected to significantly boost the local economy, attracting new visitors alongside other local attractions such as Dornoch Castle hotel and its world-famous whisky bar and The Royal Dornoch Golf Club Championship Course.
The crowdfunding campaign is part of an overall raise of £5m into Thompson Independent Traders Limited, the group that consists of Dornoch Castle Hotel, Dornoch Distillery Company Limited, Thompson Bros Independent bottling and blending as well as the new distillery development, Struie Distillery.
The additional money will come from a combination of new and existing investors via a series A fundraise.
