Bladnoch Distillery to expand after securing £10m loan

Scotland's most southerly whisky distillery is set to expand its reach into international markets after securing a £10m bank loan.

Bladnoch Distillery near Wigtown aims to "target growth markets" in Australia, Israel, China, USA and parts of Europe.

The loan from HSBC will also be used to improve the distillery's carbon footprint through technology upgrades.

The company said it planned to create an unspecified number of new jobs.

In the past year, Bladnoch has added seven new posts, bringing its staff headcount to 28.

Bladnoch's master distiller, Nick Savage, said: "While trading conditions have been challenging in the face of Brexit and Covid-19, we've managed to grow through this period and the business is now in a place where it can explore new opportunities to increase our international sales and reputation."

Bladnoch Distillery was bought out of administration by Australian entrepreneur David Prior in 2017.

He made a fortune out of organic yoghurt and decided to invest about £25m of it in the facility.