PLANS for the first modern craft brewery in Inverness as part of a new visitor attraction have been refused because of problems over local parking and transport.
But councillors on Highland Council's south area planning committee support the idea in principle and hope the developers will return with an amended application for a smaller development.
The Erasmus family had submitted plans for a state- of- the- art brewery in a bold glass and steel building, which would also include an art gallery, restaurant and shop.
An adjoining bar would be knocked down to make way for it at the Glen Mhor Hotel which they have owned since 2006. It sits beside the River Ness in the heart of the Highland capital.
The Inverness Brewery was projected to create at least a dozen new jobs while also bringing millions of pounds in tourism revenue to the area.
The plan was to let visitors see the modern brewing process, which would combine leading German technology with the best Scottish ingredients, to brew world-class Highland beers. These would be sold in the hotel as well as supplying other outlets.
Local councillor Donnie Kerr said it saddened him that the site was just not big enough to accommodate the development with sufficient parking. "I am afraid it just does not fit," he said
He added that the area was already under pressure from traffic, with several other tourist businesses nearby also opening on to a one-way street which often had to contend with tour buses. There was also a busy church.
He said there were just not enough parking spaces in the surrounding area
Committee chairman Dave Fallows said councillors had a deal of sympathy with the idea of such a business development, the approach and the design of the building. "But the squeezing of everything into this space means the resulting issues are quite significant," he said.
A new brewery did open in Inverness in 1983. The Alice Brewery was based in the Longman Industrial Estate. It was established by Ollie Griffin, who had named it after his daughter. It closed in 1988.
In recent years several craft breweries have sprung up around the Highland capital, but not in it. Over the Kessock Bridge there is the Black Isle Brewery near Munlochy, and the Cromarty Brewing Company's base is further east near Cromarty itself.
The Loch Ness Brewery is at Drumnadrochit on Loch Ness-side. The Cairngorm Brewery is at Aviemore and Speyside Craft Brewery is in Forres.
Meanwhile, Brewdog has teamed up with four fellow craft brewers across Scotland to create one-off brews for its second nationwide beer festival.
The collaborations will be among 16 beers created by Brewdog staff and partner breweries across the UK, which will be sold across the company's UK bar network on Saturday.
Cromarty Brewing Co, Fyne Ales, Alechemy and Tempest Brewing Company have linked up with Brewdog staff to create limited edition beers which will be available in Brewdog's bars in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Brewdog said its second CollabFest will also highlight up and coming UK breweries such as Five Points, Brodie's and Pressure Drop.
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