Plans for £46m distillery in Scottish Borders promises to create hundreds of jobs

Images by Michael Laird Architects showing what the distillery might look like. Credit: Michael Laird Architects

Jackson Distillers have said the facility in St Boswells would produce 20 million litres of pure alcohol per year for the gin and vodka market.The grain distillery, different from a barely distillery, would be a first for the Scottish Borders and only the second such facility to be built in Scotland in 25 years.The distillery will produce 20 million litres of pure alcohol per year meeting growing demand for grain whisky for Scotch Whisky blending and a Scottish grain neutral spirit for gin and vodka. As well as supporting local farmers by creating more demand for local grains and cereals, the company also said the project would create 20 permanent jobs and 200 during the construction phase.

The project would create around 200 jobs during the construction phase.

Trevor Jackson, Founder & CEO of Jackson Distillers, said: “We are excited to bring forward this transformational opportunity for the Scottish Borders. "The project will create 20 permanent high-value jobs and a further 200 jobs through the construction stage whilst providing a crucial ongoing contribution to the local rural economy.

"The Distillery will play its part in helping Scotland meet its climate change ambitions, sending zero waste to landfill with sustainability at the forefront of its production practices.”The facility will add value to locally grown cereals using up to date distilling technology, adding to the circular economy, reducing carbon emissions and maximising recycling with zero waste to landfill. 

It will be build on the Charlesfield industrial estate in St Boswells

The site will take high-quality local cereals from the Tweed valley and process them into spirit using renewable energy. "We wanted to to create a green and efficient grain distillery because there are only seven others in Scotland and those were created last century," continued Mr Jackson."There's about half a million tons of wheat grown in the Scottish Borders so we can reduce the food miles, all the other distilleries are over 40 miles away so we can keep that footprint down to about a 20 mile radius."A planning application will be considered by Scottish Borders Council next month, with the hopes of the distillery being operational by 2023.