Jura distillery suspends production

Isle of Jura distillery has been forced to temporarily halt production after the island's ferry service was withdrawn.

The boat which brings supplies to the distillery - and which also removes waste products - has been undergoing repairs for more than a week due to engine trouble.

A replacement ferry was placed on the Islay-Jura route by ASP Ship Management, which runs the service on behalf of Argill and Bute Council, but this has since been redeployed.

The council is now attempting to find a second replacement vessel but in the meantime the distillery has been forced to suspend its activities.

Assistant manager Willie Cochrane told the Scotsman newspaper: "When the ferry goes off we can't produce whisky because we need raw materials on the island and we need to get the draff - the by-product - off the island every two days. We have a holding tank, but that only lasts a day and a half.

"It's not just money being lost to us, it's money being lost to the Chancellor. If this happened to all the distilleries on Islay there would be a public outcry."

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