Dál Riata, the planned Campbeltown distillery, is ready to begin construction. The distillery has confirmed that it has received a building warrant from Argyll & Bute Council, allowing it to break ground on the site.

Plans for the distillery began in 2021, when founders Ronnie Grant and Iain Croucher selected a plot of land in Campbeltown. Planning permission was granted in 2023, and the building warrant subsequently approved on 5 June 2025. Construction is expected to begin before the end of this year.

Grant commented: “There is no better whisky town in Scotland than Campbeltown. We are getting to add to the wee toon’s rich distilling history with the creation of our own distillery Dál Riata.”

Once a thriving centre of whisky production known as the ‘Victorian whisky capital of the world’ (hence Glen Scotia’s bestselling Victoriana), Campbeltown suffered a decline at the start of the 20th century. Its number of distilleries fell from more than 30 in the late 1800s to just two by 1929.

Having remained a popular Scotch region with whisky enthusiasts, Campbeltown is experiencing something of a revival. Joining Dál Riata in the new vanguard of planned Campbeltown distilleries is Machrihanish, from Isle of Raasay owner R&B Distillers, and Witchburn Distillery from Brave New Spirits.

The vision for Dál Riata is “not a modest operation”. Its planned capacity is 850,000 litres of pure alcohol per year, and it will also have a bottling company and warehousing.