A Sense Of Belonging
The motives of the owners of Annandale Distillery are both commercial and altruistic.
Of course, Annandale must become a profitable and well-run business, otherwise the Distillery's future will be uncertain beyond the lifetimes (or the finite financial resources) of David Thomson and Teresa Church.
However, the main purpose of achieving financial success will be as a means of realising our altruistic ambitions:
Prosperity:
If Annandale can become an iconic Lowland Single Malt Scotch whisky distillery, it will hopefully bring benefit and prosperity to this part of the Scotland - England border.
Pride:
One of the 'seven deadly sins', or so we're told, but doing something well will reinforce our sense of pride in the Annandale region. We hope to achieve this by producing consistently good Single Malt Scotch whisky at Annandale Distillery
Knowledge:
Fiscal wealth matters but wealth of knowledge is more important, more satisfying and above all, open to everybody. We hope that the knowledge base that will be built-up at Annandale's Whisky Academy will provide a rich source of satisfaction for all who are interested in whisky matters.
Outreach:
It's often said that Scotland's biggest export isn't Scotch whisky but Scottish people. For sure, in the period between 1830 and 1930 over 2,500,000 people emigrated from Scotland. Many would have left from Annan and the other Solway ports. The reasons why Scots should have become (and still are) a 'mirgrant race' are discussed in an excellent essay commissioned by Annandale Distillery and written by Dr Billy Kenefick of Dundee University (soon to be uploaded).
As a consequence of centuries of emigration, there are quite literally tens of millions of people of Scottish Heritage living all around the World. Some will still have very close ties with Scotland but others will be attached only by the thinnest strand that could date back decades or even centuries. We hope that our soon to be launched 'Nation of Scots' feature on this website will provide them with a link back to Scotland and reassure them that not only do they belong to Scotland but, in some small way, Scotland belongs to them too.
By being successful in all of these enterprises, we aim to create a 'sense of belonging' that links Annandale Distillery, with local people, with whisky enthusiasts around the World and with people of Scottish heritage living anywhere and everywhere on this planet.