ARRAN Brewery has purchased an electric van and is trialling direct deliveries on its home island and Glasgow.

It comes after the company recently bought bio-diesel manufacturing units at its restaurant and bar sites at Dreghorn, Ayrshire, and St Fillans, Perthshire, to convert cooking fat into fuel for its more traditional fleet.

Managing director Gerald Michaluk said the business will evaluate whether the Peugeot Boxer electric vehicle is cost efficient before deciding whether to buy more.

He described the venture as "a bit of gamble" as the vehicle only has a range of around 100 miles but said he will consider using the green vans around the UK if the trial goes well.

Mr Michaluk said Arran was taking on its own delivery arrangements after its previous arrangement with a distributor was ended.

He feels initial teething problems are close to being ironed out and added: We have had to, at very short notice, get into the physical beer distribution business and set up an infrastructure to do so.

"As we have no legacy methods we have been able to look at the best possible ways of getting our beer to our customers. In the last few months this has been challenging and I can only apologise to the many customers we have let down over the period.

"However, we are getting our act together and with the electric vehicles and a team of drivers as well as more traditional vehicles you will soon see a lot more Arran beers available around Scotland and the rest of the UK."