UK-based alcoholic beverage maker Diageo is set to re-open Scottish distilleries Brora and Port Ellen, which have been closed for more than three decades.

Brora and Port Ellen are said to be once known for producing high-quality Scotch whiskey products until they qwere closed in 1983.

The two distilleries will be reopened with a £35m investment, featuring new cask filling and traditional warehousing facilities. These will be used to produce whiskey replicating the spirit character of the original distilleries.

Diageo Whisky Outreach head Nick Morgan said: “This is a truly exceptional moment in Scotch whisky. Port Ellen and Brora are names that have a uniquely powerful resonance with whisky-lovers around the world and the opportunity to bring these lost distilleries back to life is as rare and special as the spirit that made the distilleries famous.

“Very few people will ever be able to try the original Port Ellen and Brora single malts as they become increasingly rare, so we are thrilled that we will now be able to produce new expressions of these whiskies for new generations of people to enjoy.

"The two distilleries will be reopened with a £35m investment, featuring new cask filling and traditional warehousing facilities."

“Scotch whisky is Scotland’s gift to the world and the rebirth of these distilleries is a great gift to malt whisky lovers everywhere.”

In addition, the distilleries will also feature a dedicated Brand Homes that will be used to welcome guests.

Production is expected to begin by 2020 after obtaining planning permission and regulatory consents.

When opened, the Brora and Port Ellen distilleries will be among Diageo’s smallest, with a production capacity of 800,000 litres per annum.

Image: Diageo to open two Scottish distilleries with an investment of £35m. Photo: © Diageo.