‘Moffat is not a place of industry, it’s a place of respite,” says Erin Bullard, of Dark Sky Spirits, which opened one of the town’s newest attractions in 2023.
Scotland’s only wood-fired distillery, The Moffat Distillery, which is now welcoming visitors for its second season, is built around the ethos of the town being somewhere lovely to explore, relax and enjoy great food and drink.
“Because of this, we wanted to be small, to be really hands-on, to be all about the craft. We loved the idea of wood-fired as being life at is most basic: a warm fire, food and drink made from the heart, and place to share that experience.”
Erin and husband Nick began blending whisky under their company banner - Dark Sky Spirits - in 2017, releasing their first blend the following year. In 2019 they were actively looking for a distillery site and were granted planning permission the following year for the 17 acres on the edge of town, on the Old Carlisle Road.
The couple poured their life savings into the £1.6 million project and, with grant funding from South of Scotland Enterprise and Dumfries & Galloway Council, completed the project last summer. The Distillery, designed by Organic Architects, officially opened its doors on July 17.
Offering tours and events and serving coffee and cake, along with the chance to browse its shop, the Distillery has a large bar area and flexible hospitality space which can be adapted for private events and everything from live music gigs to whisky blending workshops.
The Moffat Distillery produced its first craft gin in April 2023, launched it in the July, and whisky production began this winter, with the first cask filled in March, to be launched in March 2027.
“Since we’ve started making whisky, the energy of the building has felt wonderful, like it’s finally fulfilling its true purpose,” says Erin.
The Bullards believe the wood-fired process, with living flames “caressing” the copper wash, give the spirit a unique depth of character.
Erin describes Original Moffat Wood-fired Gin as “a really lovely, warm, smooth, robust gin” and stresses that it’s not smoky; the name only describing the distilling process.
Extremely hands-on themselves, the couple recently took on a brewer, William Beishuizen, who is converting his skills to distilling. They also employ Idy Davidson as “sales and marketing pioneer” and four other visitor services staff.
The Distillery’s 75-minute Signature Tour combines a little Moffat history with the story of how Scotland’s only wood-fired distillery came about, and the chance to witness the hands-on distilling process from the single-estate barley to the bottling and blending.
It does, of course, conclude with a tasting, in the Midnight Parlour tasting room, with samples of blended Scotch whisky, Original Moffat Gin and a fruit whisky liqueur.
One online reviewer said the tour was “one of a kind”, describing The Moffat Distillery as a “hidden gem”: “It was so interesting to listen to the story behind The Moffat Distillery and the passion that drives it to be what it is, and what it will become”.
The Distillery has already hosted several events and the Bullards would like to do more, with outside space which could also be developed.
As well as their own blends, including The Doonhamer, Dark Sky Spirits has created special limited edition gin and whisky blends for organisations including Moffat Mountain Rescue Team, Stranraer Oyster Festival, Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival, and Moffat’s Golden Eagle Festival.
