Uile bheist Distillery and Brewery has completed an eight month refurbishment of its Inverness tap and tasting rooms after demand for whisky tours almost doubled in three years.

The distillery beside the River Ness expects to welcome its 20,000th visitor in the coming weeks, with the redevelopment allowing consecutive tours to operate for the first time since it opened in February 2023.

Uile bheist became Inverness’s first new distillery in more than 130 years when it opened and is now planning the first limited release of its own Scotch malt whisky.

Its growing visitor operation has become an important part of the business, particularly as Inverness attracts tourists from around the world travelling through the Highlands.

The latest work has created seating for around 100 people across the tap and tasting rooms, which are home to more than 400 malts.

Former Victorian kitchens and storage areas have been reopened and stripped back to their original stone, creating additional seating designed by Steve Gibson.

A former hotel function room overlooking the River Ness has also been transformed into a dedicated whisky tasting room where visitors can sample Uile bheist blends and beers.

Jonathan Martin, Revenue and Rooms Manager for umbrella group Turas Hotels, said:

“When we opened, there were elements of the unknown.

“It is a long time since Inverness had a working distillery but each year the tours have grown beyond expectation.

“The way we ran the tours before, we were annexing bar space in our tap room and tastings were done upstairs, where the whisky and beer making operations were.

“We wanted to elevate the levels for our tour guests and this redevelopment has done that.

“Crucially, it also means we can now run consecutive tours for the first time without having to move the ‘set’ around.”

The refurbishment also includes softer seating and charging points, with the business finding that visitors are spending longer in the taproom following the changes.

Martin said:

“The success of the taproom is crucial to Uile-bheist, as a brand.

“It was a lot of work but it’s easily the best change we’ve made, both for the comfort of guests and operationally.

“The space feels natural and people are staying longer with us.

“We’ve removed some harder seating for softer seating and, beside each space, there are chargers so people can even work here, if they want.”

Uile bheist produces its own malt and five beers, while its River Ness water source also plays a central role in the energy system serving the distillery and neighbouring Glen Mhor Hotel.

The £7.5 million sustainability system is designed to remove 250 tonnes of carbon each year from production while providing lower carbon power and heat to the hotel.

Solar panels on the distillery roof also provide electricity for whisky and beer production.

For a distillery which opened with plenty of unknowns just three years ago, approaching 20,000 visitors and having to create room for more of them is a useful problem to have.