Distillery Lead Investor Roland Grain, CEO Martin McAdam, and local MSP Martin Whitfield were among those attending to celebrate this Scottish manufacturing milestone and the impact of the artisan skills on the whisky industry.

The Prestonpans-based fabricator is renowned for its world-class craftsmanship and for leveraging traditional techniques, many of which date back 150 years. The two whisky stills and condensers are destined for Ardgowan, which is set to be one of Scotland’s most efficient whisky distilleries following seven years of careful planning and construction.

George Crombie, Chief Operating Officer and Engineering Director at the Briggs of Burton Group, said: “Coppersmithing is an intrinsic part of the Scotch whisky industry. At McMillan Coppersmiths, we celebrate the best of Scotland by blending our rich heritage and traditional craftsmanship to create iconic copper pot stills used across the whisky industry. 

“More than a million hammer blows have created each Ardgowan copper still. What is fascinating is that every distiller’s still shape and design is different, creating a lot of variety in work for the team who build them. This was a real opportunity for our customer and team to come together and mark a key moment in Ardgowan distillery’s project. It would have also been quite the spectacle for the general public to see these large, shiny copper stills as they were transported across the central belt. Our team takes pride in helping distillers around the world craft pot and column stills tailored to their specific needs.

“We have invested, and will continue to do so, in modernising the working environment while preserving the traditional handcrafted methods of production. Since acquisition, Briggs of Burton has committed approximately £2 million to capital investments in machinery, infrastructure, and renewable energy, with a further £1.5m planned for next year to improve quality, efficiency, and capacity.”

The scotch whisky industry has contributed £5.3 billion to the Scottish economy, and coppersmithing is an integral part of this industry, playing a critical role in its production. McMillan Coppersmiths is preparing the next generation through a dedicated craft apprenticeship programme and by offering career opportunities for sheet metal workers to transition into the art of coppersmithing.

Ardgowan distillery has previously partnered with Heriot-Watt University and McMillan Coppersmiths’ parent company, Briggs of Burton, to explore technology for capturing CO2 from the fermentation process and find alternative value-adding uses. Briggs of Burton, who have designed the distillery process alongside Ardgowan, will soon install a high-tech system called Thermal Vapour Recompression (TVR) which reduces steam usage and makes the distillation process more energy efficient. 

Ardgowan Distillery Chief Executive, Martin McAdam, added: “Ardgowan distillery is now nearing operational status and is due to be completed in early 2025.

“The copper stills are among the final pieces of the puzzle for the distillery, which will soon be able to open its doors to the public. We chose to work with McMillan Coppersmiths not just for its expertise within the distilling industry, but also as part of our commitment to support local communities and businesses across Scotland.”

Ardgowan expects to create up to 50 jobs for the Inverkip area and, upon completion, will have the capacity to produce one million litres of premium whisky per year. Ardgowan have invested close to £7m with Briggs of Burton for the design and build of the main equipment and over £1m with McMillan Coppersmiths for the stills and energy-saving TVR equipment.

The stills journey took them from Prestonpans to Inverclyde along the M8, with a truly Scottish scene with a bagpiper sending them on their departure and arrival, in a celebration of craftsmanship, Scottish heritage and innovation.