Arran Brewery Receives Big Grant from Historic Scotland

Paul ButlerLatest News, News

The Arran Brewery has received a grant of half a million pounds from Historic Scotland to help with the preservation of the former Rosebank Distillery site in Falkirk.

The brewery intends to open a bottling facility and a new brewery and micro distillery, the brewery to be called the Forth and Clyde Brewery, Falkirk, and the micro distillery the Camelon Distillery.

The beers the brewery will produce have been market tested under a code name, Zodiac, as Aries, Gemini. Cancer and Taurus, which will become tribute brands to Aitken’s Brewery, of Falkirk, which was founded in 1740 and which took its brewing water from the site of the distillery. The beers are said to have been enjoyed by Bonnie Prince Charlie and his army in 1746, probably saving the town from serious damage at the hands of the rebels.

Arran Brewery, working with Scottish Canals and Falkirk Council will strive to redevelop the site but keep the unique history and preserve one of Scotland’s top distilleries.  The renowned whisky writer, Jim Murray, who wrote the Whisky Bible, said Rosebank was one of the top ten distilleries in the world. He added: “If there is a God, it will surely one day re-open.”

Managing director of Arran Brewery, Gerald Michaluk, said:

“This has been a long struggle to get support for this site from the Scottish Government and this reflects the dilemma with the site. While we want to maintain the historic character of the site and open it to the public, at the same time we need to secure its ongoing economic success by running a profitable business there. These two elements are proving difficulty to reconcile.”
Gerald Michaluk, Managing director of Arran Brewery