BRUICHLADDICH Distillery has revealed it is on track to more than double its output after being given the green light to build six maturation warehouses on Islay.

The island's biggest private employer said the future of 70 jobs has been secured after Argyll & Bute Council granted planning permission for the project.

It removes the possibility of Bruichladdich, acquired by spirits giant Remy Cointreau for £58 million in 2012, having to scale back production owing to insufficient storage space.

The investment paves the way for Bruichladdich to meet growing demand for its spirits in international markets. According to Remy's most recent results, sales of Bruichladdich malts and gin brand The Botanist doubled in the year ended March 31.

Bruichladdich has been committed to carrying out all aspects of its production on Islay since being taken out of mothballs by a consortium led by Mark Reynier in 2000. That philosophy has continued under Remy.

Spokesman Carl Reavey said: "It's just brilliant for us - it's absolutely a great relief and very exciting. It secures our business plan.

"We have always made no bones about the fact we are utterly committed to maturing the spirit here on Islay - [for]100 per cent of its life.

"We always said that if we can't mature our spirit here on Islay then we will stop distilling. For years we have made this public proclamation."

Mr Reavey, who was unable to disclose how much would be spent in the warehouses, said the investment means Bruichladdich can also continue to bottle its spirits on the island.

"Obviously if we're unable to mature the spirit here we wouldn't be able to bottle here either in the long term," he said. "This basically secured the business for decades to come."

Some further jobs are expected to be created as a result of the project, which will progress by one building at a time. Mr Reavy, who pointed out that Bruichladdich also employs 10 staff in sales and marketing roles in Glasgow, said it was "unlikely to be dozens". But he noted that local contractors would be used for the building work.

"The main thing has been to secure the jobs," he said.

Remy's backing for the project underlines the commitment it has shown to Bruichladdich since the acquisition.

Its financial muscle will allow the distillery, which has also diversified successfully into gin, to more than double its annual spirit output achieved under its previous ownership.

Mr Reavey, who praised Remy for buying into the Bruichladdich "philosophy", said it means output will be increased to 1.5 million litres per year. The initial business plan was for the distillery to produce 200,000 litres, which was quickly scaled up due to demand.

Mr Reavey said: "At the time Remy took over we had driven that up to 700,000 litres.

"What Remy have enabled us to do is bring the distillery to its natural capacity. We are trying to distil about 1.5m litres.

"As a small independent we couldn't do that. With the help of Remy we have been able to undertake that expansion.

"It's because we have undertaken that expansion, to be able to operate the distillery's natural maximum, that we need this additional warehousing."

The investment comes as Mr Reavey described the global outlook for Bruichladdich as "extremely positive".