About
The Distillery was founded by Andrew and is a passion project due to his family roots tying back to Kirkcudbright for generations. Opened in 2021, it is built in an old derelict primary school which has been converted and shared with other tenants including the Dark Space Planetarium and a pottery painting studio, the Wee Pottery.
Whilst the whole building has been renovated, many of the features from the original building have been retained including old-style chalk boards, wood panelling and the clock on the central tower. The Distillery itself includes a Visitor Centre & Shop where gin-tours and tastings are undertaken. The Distillery has a magnificent custom-built 450L Carl still named ‘Peggy’ after Andrew’s grandmother who hailed from Kirkcudbright.
The Inspiration
For years, people have been drawn to this stunning South West corner of Scotland to experience its light phenomena. The absence of light in the Galloway Forest Park as well as the quality of light, particularly at dusk, in Kirkcudbright and the surrounding locations, has people flocking.
The Dark
Kirkcudbright sits alongside the Galloway Forest Park and once the sun sets on the 300 square miles of wondrous loch, mountain and forest views, it becomes one of the darkest places in all of Europe. In 2009 it became the 1st accredited Dark Sky Park in the UK and Western Europe (and at the time only the 4th in the world). It is here that enthusiasts come to stand in contemplation and amazement at the vast sky garden revealed above them with rivers of light and dazzling with stars that is an eternal roof above all nations. Onlookers are given a rare opportunity to witness shooting stars, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Aurora Borealis and stellar nurseries, where new suns of distant planets are born. The dark skies of the Galloway Forest Park allow one to be able to view the sweeping tapestry of stars and the vast expanse of the universe.
The Art
With its colourful streets, historic castle and tolbooth, art galleries and magnificent working harbour, Kirkcudbright has attracted generations of artists since the 1880s. A time when members of ‘The Glasgow Boys and Girls’ art movement lived here. It continues to thrive today with artists and craft-makers who work in the town, throwing open the doors of their studios and galleries annually as part of the Arts & Crafts Trail event. It is renowned as the Artists’ Town.
Taking inspiration from all of the above, the Dark Art Distillery, Scotland’s most southerly distillery, was born.
