THE managing director of Isle of Arran Distillers has underlined the need to hammer home the message that the popular island is “open for business”.

Euan Mitchell said a perception of disruption to ferry services between Ardrossan on the mainland and Brodick on Arran has the effect of people staying away from the island in the Firth of Clyde.

Mr Mitchell told The Herald that his company, which owns two distilleries on Arran (Lagg and Lochranza), is working closely with other businesses on the island to ensure visitors are not discouraged from coming.

He said: “The service has improved across the year. They (Caledonian MacBrayne) brought in the MV Alfred (from Pentland Ferries) as a second vessel on the route. It has been tricky between mechanical breakdowns and the weather; it has not been without its challenges.

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“An obstacle we need to overcome is a perception amongst visitors that the ferry is problematic. In reality, the service runs well on a regular basis. There are occasional hitches but that is the same with any ferry service. I think because of the publicity regarding the ferry, people have a bit of a negative perception. That is something we are looking to overcome because Arran is very much open for business, and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors back in 2024.”

Mr Mitchell added: “We are working closely with VisitArran, the local tourist group, and they have done a lot of great work in terms of pushing the message. We work closely with a lot of partners on the island.

“The likes of Auchrannie Hotel do a lot of marketing and promoting the island generally, the same with the Douglas, the Kinloch [hotels] and Taste of Arran. There’s a strong cohesive group there looking to put out a positive message about Arran and are working with the key players, CalMac in particular, to make sure people come back in numbers and enjoy Arran once again.”

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Isle of Arran Distillers recently completed an extension of its Lochranza distillery, which involved the addition of four washbacks. Investment was also made in a new visitor entrance to the building, including a lift to provide disabled access to the distillery for the first time.

Mr Mitchell said: “Our plan next year is to take a step back from any major capex [and] just look at a list of repairs and renewals and tackle some of that. Lochranza is approaching its 30th anniversary, so some of the equipment there is starting to show its age and needing to be renewed. In 2025, we will celebrate Lochranza’s 30th anniversary.”