Kingsbarns Distillery Opens

Scotland's newest distillery is hoping to tee off a new era of tourism in the north of Fife.

The site at Kingsbarns opens its doors to the public today.

It's the only Scotch whisky producer in the St Andrews area.

Director William Wemyss said it has been "a very exciting year for us"

He said: "Building a whisky distillery is a once in a generation opportunity and we are looking forward to playing our part in bringing a reinvigoration to the Kingdom of Fife.

The Scottish Government also supported the development with a European Food Processing and Marketing grant.

Food Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "This will provide a fantastic added tourist attraction for the many thousands of golf lovers who flock to the ‘Home of Golf’ at St Andrews each year.

“The Scottish Government, which provided support for this project through the Food Processing, Marketing and Cooperation Grant Scheme, welcomes this new distillery to the family of Scottish Craft Distilleries. As well as creating jobs, it will also further enhance the area in terms of tourism activity, bringing Whisky aficionados and golfers to this part of Fife.

“2015 is the Year of Food and Drink in Scotland: a time for us to celebrate our rich natural larder and incredible offering of some of the finest luxury products in the world. Our whisky is second to none and I have every confidence that The Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre will enrich our reputation for exceptional whisky offerings even further. I wish the Wemyss family the very best of luck in their endeavor.”

 Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, added:

“Whisky and golf are two of Scotland’s greatest gifts to the world, each playing a vital role in supporting our tourism industry. The new Kingsbarns Distillery and Visitor Centre will not only boost Fife’s tourism offering, it provides the perfect opportunity to unite golf fans with our national drink. Sampling local produce is among the top activities undertaken by visitors Scotland. I congratulate the Wemyss family and their investors on what I’m sure will be a popular attraction in the Year of Food and Drink 2015.”