Famous Scots island's whisky distilleries embracing green energy future

But community leaders have warned their success is being hampered by insufficient connections to the National Grid.

Islay's world-famous whisky distilleries are embracing green energy as the iconic island is being transformed by renewables. Locals say Islay - known around the world for its peaty whisky, rich history and amazing wildlife like white-tailed eagles - is also now home to a clean energy revolution that could lead the way in Scotland.

The community recently opened its first solar farm, built on former peat excavation land, while its first wind turbine has been generating electricity for the last ten years and there are plans for offshore wind and tidal. Meanwhile, iconic single malt brands like Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain are also embracing the renewables future by using greener fuels and biomass power generation.

But community leaders have warned their success is being hampered by insufficient connections to the National Grid. They are calling for Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and regulator Ofgem to speed up upgrade plans.

Local councillor Dougie McFadzean said: “Islay is like a mini country, it's got all this natural beauty but it's also heavily industrialised.

“If we can be used as a role model to produce our own power and export our own power, but have the infrastructure that supports all that, everybody's quality of life here will be better.

“Islay has all this potential if it chooses to. Look at the size of the place. It's on the west coast, with the Atlantic Ocean battering it and there's always stuff moving. The potential to put solar and to put wind turbines on Islay is massive.

“At the moment, the housing aspirations for Islay can't be met because the grid won’t support it.

“We - the people on the island, the distilleries and Argyll and Bute Council - need to continue to lobby SSEN and they then need to speak to National Grid and Ofgem to push it.

“If we can get the infrastructure sorted, new roads will follow, houses will follow, wealth to the island will follow, export opportunities will follow. But it's getting held back.”

With Islay such an iconic whisky destination, distilleries play a huge part in the island economy and environment.

Bunnahabhain is leading the way in green energy with a neighbouring £6.5million biomass energy plant powered by both woodchip and spent malt draff, operated by AMP Clean Energy.

Distillery manager Andrew Brown said: “We’re now burning something like 85,000 litres of oil a year, which sounds a lot.

“But a couple of years before, we would be burning between 42,000 and 45,000 litres a week.

“Lowering our carbon footprint is one of the key goals of the company.

“We get steam from the biomass, and there are other renewable projects we’re looking at with different companies.”

Bruichladdich distillation manager Gordon MacDougall said it’s vital to look after the land and natural resources, with the firm committed to carbon neutrality by 2030.

The distillery is investing in local farmland, developing new water-saving processes, transitioning from heavy oil to GreenFlame renewable heating oil, and developing potential hydrogen power systems.

He said: “It’s all about the community. You always want to leave the place better for the next generation.”

A spokesperson for SSEN said it is “committed to developing solutions to further improve resilience and capacity on Islay”, citing new subsea cables and substation upgrades.