The growth in popularity of single malt Scotch whisky over the past two decades has seen the industry explode in Scotland with new distilleries being announced all across the country.
From new distilleries in both Glasgow and Edinburgh to projects being announced, and built, in more remote locations like Harris and the Shetlands.
Even the Borders, which, until very recently, hadn't had a legal distillery in over a century now has several on the way.
However, it's in Campbeltown and the whisky island of Islay that have seen a more recent boom, with that in mind here are just some of the most exciting new distillery projects that have been announced over the past year or so.
Midhope Castle Distillery, near Edinburgh
Fans of hit TV show Outlander will already be familiar with this site after it was used to double as Lallybroch the home of lead Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan).
Though there has been no further news, plans to turn the location into a visitor centre and distillery were announced in summer 2020.
Midhope Castle Distillery Company submitted a planning application to West Lothian Council for the building next to the ruin, which they also plan to restore in the long term.
The distillery would use only malting barley grown at Hopetoun Estate, which has a long tradition of supplying barley for the Scotch whisky industry.
Dál Riata Distillery, Campbeltown
Whisky industry veterans Iain Croucher, Ronnie Grant and David Stirk have come together to create plans for a new distillery in the historic whisky capital of Campbeltown.
The plans have been submitted for Dál Riata Distillery, which will be located on Kinloch Road overlooking Campbeltown Loch.
Derived from the ancient kingdom that existed on the Western coast of Scotland and Northeast Ireland between the 6th & 9th Centuries, Dál Riata is one of two new distilleries announced for the famous whisky region.
Machrinish Distillery, Campbeltown
The first new whisky distillery announced for the Campbeltown region in over 180 years, Machrihanish Distillery is the brainchild of R&B Distillers Limited, who built their first distillery on the tiny island of Raasay, just off the coast of Skye in 2014.
The Machrihanish Distillery will be a new farm to bottle distillery and just the fourth based in the region which was once home to more than 30 in days gone by.
Co-founders Bill Dobbie and Alasdair Day have already completed the purchase of the Dhurrie Farm in Machrihanish with the intention of building their distillery, complete with a visitor centre and ultimately its own whisky club, next year (2023).
Ili Distillery, Islay
Not much has been released so far about this exciting project that could see the 12th distillery built on Islay after the Sukhinder Singh-helmed Elixir Distillers project and the Port Ellen Revival are added to the current nine working distilleries on the island.
Plans for the drum-like distillery design have been sent into the local Argyll and Bute Council.
It will overlook Gearach Farm near Port Charlotte on the southwestern side of the island.
Ardgowan Distillery
Designs for a new distillery to be built on a 600-year-old Ardgowan estate, which has links to Pocahontas and King Robert the Bruce, were first lodged in 2017.
The historic estate near Inverkip unveiled exciting images of how it will look this year, with a low-environmental impact design featuring a new Nordic long hall design and a ‘sky platform’ with views of the River Clyde.
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