INVER House Distillers has shrugged off global economic and political strife to secure a £10 million funding deal to support its international growth ambitions.

The owner of the Old Pulteney and Balblair single malts said the Bank of Scotland term loan will cover the cost of expanding its warehouse facilities at its Airdrie headquarters, and boosting the production capacity of its Speyburn distillery in the north of Scotland.

Inver House, which has been owned by Singapore-listed Thai Bev since 2001, is building an additional 12,000 square metres of storage capacity at its Lanarkshire home. The £5 million project will allow it to house a further 120,000 casks, boosting the current 500,000 capacity.

The bank funding will also contribute towards a plan to double the output of its Speyburn Distillery to 4.2 million litres.

The project, also worth around £5m, is geared towards meeting demand for Inver House's whiskies in international markets. The US is a key destination for the Speyburn single malt, which is also used in a range of blended products.

Asked why Inver House had sought external finance to fund the projects, rather than seek backing from its Thai-based parent, managing director Graham Stevenson said: "We have always operated independently and they like us to operate independently where possible.

"In the current climate the facilities are cost effective. It is an efficient way for us to [find] a funding structure."

He added: "We've been with the Bank of Scotland since the [management] buyout in 1988, they know us well and have always been very supportive of us. Mature Scotch whisky companies that have lots of stocks in the warehouse are a fairly bankable prospect."

Separately Inver House, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014, has recently invested £1m to renovate Balmenach Distillery, also in Speyside, which largely produces Scotch for blends.

The rebuilding of the distillery is complete, with Inver House now planning to install a biomass boiler under a further development phase at the distillery.

In addition, the company is committed to a rolling annual £500,000 investment programme to maintain its production sites across the country. Current projects include the replacement of roofs on existing warehouses in Airdrie, which date from the 1960s.

Mr Stevenson said the prospects for Inver House and the wider industry remain encouraging - in spite of unrest in countries such as Russia and Ukraine.

He explained: "These are unwelcome. There will be short-term impact on business, not just on us but across the industry. This is a long term industry and I, along with others, remain confident the long-term prospects for the industry are excellent. We're looking to the long-term with this."

On the ongoing austerity measures in China, which have hit exports at whisky giants Diageo and Pernod Ricard, he added: "China has never been big for us. But when others suffer there they become more competitive in other markets, so it has its spin-off effects."

The most recent accounts for Inver House showed a 20 per cent drop in pre-tax profits to £9.5 million in 2013. However the company said a strategic decision to reduce bulk whisky sales accounted for the fall in profits and revenue, which fell to £77.1m from £91.1m in 2012.

Sales of its core malt whisky brands, which also include the anCnoc single malt and Hanky Bannister blend, had risen 16 per cent in value, the company noted.

Key markets for Inver House, which currently employs 204 staff across its six sites in Scotland, include Germany and Russia.

Mr Stevenson said: "The success of our brands on the global stage, specifically Speyburn, means that we're very much in growth mode.

"The whisky industry is buoyant, despite various economic and political uncertainties around the globe. The longer term demographics and prospects of the emerging markets are very positive and we need to be prepared for these opportunities.

"The additional warehouse facility will provide us with much needed storage space that will allow Inver House Distillers to capitalise on the forecasted industry growth."

Mark Hull, relationship director at Bank of Scotland, said: "The whisky industry is worth £3.3 billion to the British economy and accounts for three quarters of Scotland's food and drink exports.

"The management board of Inver House is highly experienced and operationally strong with a proven track record, and we look forward to working with them as they realise their international expansion targets."