14th September, 2015 by Amy Hopkins

Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal has officially reopened the historic Annandale Distillery in Dumfriesshire, which has been silent for 100 years.

The distillery restarted production in November last year, but a visit by The Princess Royal, otherwise called Princess Anne, marked the site’s official ceremonial opening.

David Thompson, a sensory consumer scientist, and his wife Teresa Church, purchased the distillery in 2007 and brought it back into production with £10.5m investment.

The distillery was previously used predominantly to provide liquid for the Johnnie Walker blend.

During the visit, Princess Anne toured the distillery and met its employees before officially opening the site with the unveiling of a plaque in the Maltings Coffee Shop.

The princess was also presented with a cask of peated spirit and invited to hammer in the bung.

This cask is now on display and held in maturation in the Annandale Distillery bonded warehouse, where it will stay for the next 10 years.

“The visit is a great honour and memorable occasion for us all at Annandale Distillery, recognising the work and achievements of all who work here and those involved in the mammoth restoration project,” said Thompson.

Other VIP guests who attended the royal visit include: the Rt Hon David Mundell MP, ex Scottish Rugby Union player Doddie Weir and delegates from Historic Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Scottish Enterprise, Visit Scotland, Forsyths of Rothes and MMR Research Worldwide Ltd.

Annandale plans to release two single malt Scotch whisky labels: the Man O’ Sword, inspired by King Robert the Bruce, and Man O’Words, inspired by Scottish poet Robert Burns, both of which will be available by early 2018.

The distillery will also release a blended Scotch whisky called Nation of Scots. It was recently revealed that Annandale was selling its first cask of un-aged whisky for £1m.