Green light for Kirkwall distillery plans

Plans for a craft distillery in Kirkwall have been given the go-ahead by the islands council.

Work on Orkney Distilling Limited’s distillery, visitor centre and shop, on Ayre Road, will begin in the autumn, with an official opening planned for next spring.

Once open, the distillery will take on full production of the company’s Kirkjuvagr Gin, which has been undergoing a development and testing process over the past few months.

Stephen and Aly Kemp, the local couple behind the project, have worked closely with the Agronomy Institute UHI to identify a uniquely Orcadian blend of ingredients for the new gin.

Kirkjuvagr Gin will initially be produced on the Scottish mainland, moving to the county with the Kirkwall distillery is complete.

“Securing planning permission for our distillery represents a major step forward for the project,” said Stephen Kemp.

“We’re now looking forward to getting work under way on the distillery and creating what we hope will be a major new visitor attraction for Orkney.