WHEN Anderson 'Burr' Bakewell built the distillery in Harris in Tarbet in 2015 it was, in part, to stem the tide of young islanders leaving home, forced to seek a living on the mainland. 

It was a building with a purpose.

Today his 'social distillery' employs almost 40 permanent staff, a significant number on an island with a population of just 1,916. 

However, the boss of the island gin company has warned that Scottish Government plans to ban alcohol advertising will likely lead to job losses.

Simon Erlanger, the Isle of Harris Distillers managing director said the proposals could force them to close their shop.

He also warned that the new rules, if they come into force, could see many producers “go the wall.”

READ MORE: Whisky tourism sector under threat from Scottish Government ad ban

The far-reaching Scottish Government proposals - currently out to consultation - would see adverts on billboards and in newspapers and magazines banned, and shops forced to hide their alcohol. 

Drinks firms would also be prohibited from selling merchandise and unable to sponsor sporting and cultural events.

Mr Erlanger told The Herald the impact could be "dramatic."

He said: “Our distillery visitor centre is a vital contributor to our bottom line and at the same time is the heart of the brand, a place where people can discover who we are, why we are here and how we create our spirits. It also creates local jobs. 

“As a distillery set up with the purpose of providing sustainable employment for the island, it is essential that we can offer our visitors a wide offering of goods to buy as well as a warm Harris welcome. 

“During the season, at least 12 people are employed in our Guest Services team.

“If we were unable to display our spirits or sell associated items, we can imagine that there would be a dramatic impact on sales. In the worst case, we would simply close the shop as it would be unaffordable to operate. 

“The 12 jobs would obviously be lost in that case, a major impact in this small island.”

READ MORE: Alcohol advertising ban will put Scottish distillery 'out of business'

Mr Erlanger said there would be a “wider impact” on the brand. 

“The centre is also there to provide visitors with a sense of who we are and how we do things so that they can take our story back home and spread the word to friends and family. 

“Much of this benefit would be lost under the proposals, impacting our wider sales.

“We are also engaged in supporting community events, such as local music festivals and the village footfall club. Withdrawing from this kind of activity is likely to make these events less viable, with associated impact on the cultural life of the island.”

He said there was no evidence that proposals would reduce alcohol-related harm. 

“It is essential that we can tell our stories to our consumers. We need to be able to explain what makes us different from all the other craft gins and whiskies. Without this, I believe that many producers, most of which support local communities like we do, will go the wall because they are unable to market their products.”

READ MORE: Alcohol could be 'hidden like tobacco' in marketing curbs

The comments were echoed by Stephen Kemp, from Kirkjuvagar Orkney Gin. He told the BBC they relied heavily on tourism. “It's just ludicrous to think someone couldn't take away a branded glass or a beanie hat or a printed t shirt of ours home to Canada, to Europe, on the back of this proposed legislation.”

Asked if he thought his business would be able to survive, he replied: “I don't think so. No. 

“And I also think businesses like ours won't even start up. We're gonna see a real sad decline in what's been a really exciting emergence of small craft producers who have become quite important employers all around the Highlands and Islands and rural Scotland.”

Alison Douglas from the Alcohol Focus charity defended the plans. She said distilleries and visitor centres such as the Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh would still be able to open.

“It wouldn't be able to be called the Johnnie Walker Experience,” she said. “It could be called the Diageo experience. Diageo owns 12 distilleries in Scotland, possibly more.” 

Asked why, she told the BBC: “Because Diageo isn't a brand of whisky whereas Johnnie Walker is.” 

Ms Douglas said: “We have to address the underlying problem here, which is that alcohol marketing is about recruiting new drinkers. It's about encouraging those people who are already drinking to drink more. 

“And it's about normalising alcohol consumption so that we think of it as an everyday activity, that we relax with alcohol, that we socialise with friends and family with alcohol. 

“I mean, what we're not trying to do is to prevent people from making an adult decision to drink alcohol. That's not what this is about. 

“What we're concerned about is the marketing that encourages people to make a connection with a brand and that drives consumption and harm.”

A Diageo spokesperson said the proposals were "extreme"

They said: “Our £185m investment in Scotch whisky tourism has created new jobs, added economic benefit and helps promote Scotland to the world.

"These extreme proposals do nothing to address alcohol harm, they simply undermine efforts to attract tourism and investment.

"We want to work constructively with the Scottish Government to find effective ways of tackling alcohol misuse that don’t undermine the unique economic, cultural and community contribution our industry makes to Scotland.”