Gordon and McPhail gets green light to build distillery

The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) gave the go-ahead to the Elgin-based company to erect a new distillery, visitor centre, warehouse and associated infrastructure at a site just off the A95 on the outskirts of Grantown-on-Spey.

The CNPA planning committee – meeting in Boat of Garten today – had previously carried out a site visit to the location between Craggan Outdoors and Gaich Farm.

Addressing committee members this afternoon, Katherine Donnachie, planning officer with the CNPA, said: "The building is set to be ‘state of the art’ and we consider it to be well designed and in a good location with suitable mitigation measures in place to combat ecological impacts.

"Subject to conditions and a legal agreement securing good pedestrian and cycle links between the site and Grantown, I recommend we approve the application."

Eleanor Mackintosh, the planning committee's convener stated it was the first malt whisky distillery to be approved by the CNPA since its establishment in 2003.

She added: "The food and drink sector and the tourism industry are both extremely important to the national park economy – often going hand in hand as is the case here.

"I fully support the officer’s recommendation to approve the application. It is an innovative building to house a business that will provide long term economic benefits."

To read the planning papers in full please visit the CNPA website.

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