The "sleeping giant" that is Rosebank Distillery came a step closer to awakening on Wednesday, as members of Falkirk Council's licensing board agreed to grant it a provisional licence. Members heard that work on the historic building is now close to finishing and owners Ian Macleod Distillers aim to have it fully open to the public for tours and whisky tastings by Christmas.
Steven Arnott, of Ian Macleod Distillers, told members that the handover of the building would be phased and the production area would be complete "reasonably soon", with the full completion expected "round about summer". However, he confirmed that once that happens, construction will start on a two-storey car park for visitors and the building will not open until that is finished.
He said: "We'll use that interim period between the summer and autumn to do recruitment and training and small scale visits for journalists and whisky writers and these kind of things."
