Hawick whisky distillery plans lodged

A former industrial site in Hawick has been acquired for the distillery development

A planning application has been lodged to build a whisky distillery - the first in the Borders for nearly 180 years - on a former industrial site.

The Three Stills Company announced last year it had secured funding of £10m to support its plans in Hawick.

It has now submitted a planning application to Scottish Borders Council for the Commercial Road scheme.

The company said the distillery and visitor centre could create 20 jobs.

The firm is one of a number to have shown an interest in establishing a distillery in the region - the first since 1837.

Mossburn Distillers unveiled plans for a £40m distillery south of Jedburgh in 2014.

Last year a competition by R&B Distillers saw the public pick Peebles as their preferred site for a distillery.