Loch Lomond brewery and distillery venture launches six-figure crowdfunding expansion

Loch Lomond Brewery, which also encompasses a sister distillery, aims to increase brewing and packaging capacity to meet growing demand and to lay down more whisky casks for future revenue.

Founded in 2011 by Fiona and Euan MacEachern, the venture has grown into one of Scotland’s most successful independent breweries. The business now employs a dedicated team of 17, produces up to 1.5 million pints of beer annually, and has 12 products listed in four of the UK’s big six supermarkets.

The brewery’s portfolio has earned more than 100 industry awards, including champion beer of the UK, brewery of the year, and, most recently, the first-ever double gold win at the coveted SIBA Indie Beer Scotland Awards 2025, taking both cask and keg champion of Scotland with the same beer.

It has expanded into distilling, producing West Highland gin and vodka, Cu Mara rum and Levenbank whisky.

Funds raised through the campaign, which has been undertaken via CrowdCube with a target of £250,000, will be used to increase brewing and distilling capacity and upgrade packaging facilities to improve efficiency and output. Any additional amount raised may be allocated to laying down more whisky casks to mature for future releases.

Fiona MacEachern, managing director of Loch Lomond Brewery, which is based in Dumbarton, said: “When I started Loch Lomond Brewery, I was brewing, selling and delivering every pint myself. It’s been an incredible journey to grow from there into a national brand stocked in major supermarkets and enjoyed across the UK and globally.

“Adding the stills and beginning to distill whisky, gin and rum is another exciting leap forward for our business.”

She added: “We’re now at the point where investment will allow us to scale up brewing, distilling and packaging to meet demand and to continue expanding our whisky ambitions with Levenbank Distillery. This is an opportunity for our community of beer and whisky fans to come on that journey with us.”

The business is forecasting revenue growth to in excess of £7 million within the next ten years, driven by increasing consumer demand, export potential, and the bottling of its whisky stocks.

The CrowdCube campaign is now open for registrations of interest and will officially launch shortly after.

With more than a decade of brewing experience, Fiona and Euan have gained recognition for beers like the multiple award-winning Silkie Stout. They are now using their expert understanding of malt and yeast to explore how using different malting levels and yeast strains can affect the flavour profile of whisky at their Levenbank Distillery venture.

Levenbank’s experimental ethos includes using specialty malts such as crystal and chocolate malts, traditionally reserved for brewing, to give complex flavours to its whiskies.

With distilling well underway, Levenbank has already sold a number of casks to private investors as well as laying down stock for future releases, with the first planned for 2029.