A NEW whisky distillery – said to be the first in the world to be 100 per cent community owned – will launch a new share offer next month amid continuing demand.

GlenWyvis Distillery Community Benefit Society already has more than 2600 members who invested in the original share offer for the Dingwall-based project in 2016.

The steel frame of the distillery was erected late last month. Contractors are busy finishing the exterior walls, and the copper stills will be installed this month, with the first run of new make spirit scheduled for late November.

A community shop and visitor centre, GlenWyvis Basecamp, opened earlier this year.

The new share offer will be launched on Thursday, August 3, at the Black Isle Show at Muir of Ord. The minimum level of investment will be £250 for all investors.

Funds raised towards a target of £750,000 will help to reduce commercial lending and accelerate brand development plans.

This will include extending the GlenWyvis brand and product offering, bringing gin distilling into Dingwall, and further development of the GlenWyvis visitor experience in and around the town to maximise the benefits of the distillery’s new business partnership with the North Coast 500.

Distillery founder and managing director John McKenzie said: “Our aim is to reach local people who missed out on the original offer, and to make membership accessible to visitors who come to explore the Highlands via the North Coast 500.”