Thanks to the extra liquidity, Isle of Harris Distillers – which makes Isle of Harris Gin - is now in a position to continue with its plans to increase its presence in Europe and Canada, and expand into Asia and the US from its base in the Outer Hebrides.

Isle of Harris Distillers saw a 50% surge in online orders during lockdown. However, the overnight closure of bars, restaurants and its visitor centre adversely impacted its cashflow.

The funding enabled the distillery to continue focusing on its long-term future as it invests in the production of its first single malt whisky and navigates through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ron MacEachran, chairman of Isle of Harris Distillers, said: “We suddenly lost sales from our visitor centre and our business with the hospitality industry when Covid-19 hit, but HSBC UK’s backing has given us additional fire power and flex to navigate our way through the extraordinary levels of uncertainty we have seen since the start of this pandemic.

“We’ve got positive plans to increase our exports and will be investing in additional warehouses to mature our whisky. The additional liquidity from HSBC UK has also allowed us to continue with our plans for growth.”

Neal Tully, relationship director at HSBC UK, added: “Isle of Harris Distillery is a fantastic example of a Scottish business that has responded swiftly in response to a rapid change in customer demand. We have worked with the distillery as it has gone from strength to strength over the years, so we were pleased to support the business as it adapted to a challenging time.”