Outlander actor Sam Heughan may have to put his ambitious distillery expansion plans on hold — because of newts.
The Scottish star took over Crafty Distillery in Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, in August, but a recent discovery revealed the site could be home to a rare newt colony, putting development work under scrutiny.
Planning officials issued a firm directive, stating: “Should any newts be found, all work must cease immediately and must not recommence unless and until a licence to carry out works has been obtained from the Scottish Government.”
Heughan, 45, rebranded the site as the Galloway Distillery in September, shortly after taking over. The move followed the successful launch of his Sassenach gin, created with distiller Craig Rankin in 2023. His award-winning Sassenach whisky, which debuted two years earlier, will also be produced at the new facility.
Company records confirm that Heughan became director of the firm behind the distillery in early August. The development plans — originally submitted last year when it was still known as Crafty Distillery — were only recently approved.
The proposals include building a new entrance, adding outdoor seating bothies, creating a canopy with a decked veranda, and installing portable toilets for a six-month trial period.
However, the same approval came with a warning: “Great crested newts are a European Protected Species and are protected under law.”
To address the issue, a “great crested newt species protection plan” was filed in August. The report noted that woodland near the site offered “some suitable habitat” for the amphibians but was “poorly connected to the distillery” and provided “very limited terrestrial habitat and commuting potential” for the creatures.
The plans were ultimately approved — though a similar environmental directive was also issued when another building proposal for the site was granted in December, months before Heughan’s takeover.
In September, Heughan revealed that further expansion and new visitor experiences would be rolled out over the next year. Speaking about his vision, he said: “I created the Galloway Distillery to return to my roots and give back to the land where I was born. My purpose is to shine a light on this unsung corner of Scotland that has so much to offer.”
Currently, the distillery runs three guided tours per day, five days a week. And while it’s unclear whether the newts will cause any delays, some locals have joked about the old Scottish saying “drunk as a newt,” which is thought to have originated from the idea of using newts to test whisky strength.
