Distillery Approval

TGP are delighted that the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) has granted planning permission for a new whisky distillery at a site just off the A95 on the outskirts of Grantown-on-Spey.  The approval covers a new distillery, visitor centre, warehouse and associated infrastructure and is being built by Gordon & MacPhail, who own Benromach Distillery at Forres.

TGP worked in collaboration with ITP Energised, Norr Architects and Cundall to prepare a landscape masterplan and Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) for the project.

TGP engaged with the landscape adviser early on in the design process and CNPA planning committee convener Eleanor Mackintosh said: “I congratulate the applicant on a thorough and well-presented application. This is a major development for the area and this will be the first malt whisky distillery to be approved by the Cairngorms National Park Authority since it was established in 2003.”

The design approach focused on delivery of a natural aesthetic, incorporating native woodland and parkland-style tree planting in combination with native wildflower meadow and marginal wetland areas to enhance existing habitats within the Site and exert a positive, lasting impact on the character of the surrounding Spey valley. The LVIA took cognisance of the sensitivity of the local landscape in the assessment of potential effects on the Special Landscape Qualities (SLQs) of the National Park, as well as those on the visual amenity of local residents and visitors.