English residents say plans for a distillery are ‘too Scottish’

Some concerned locals in a town in England have voiced their discontent over plans for a £4 million whisky distillery, saying it is ”too Scottish”.

The distillery is set to be built in Princetown, Devon, which would be the largest in the UK, outside Scotland.

The designs show the distillery in the Dartmoor National Park with a pagoda-style roof used throughout the industry north of the border.

But angry locals have told the architects to think again, complaining that ”Princetown is not Scotland”.

The plans from Princetown Distillers Ltd, which include a visitors centre and cafe, have brought in 46 letters of objection and four letters of support.

Residents are concerned the distillery is to be rendered brown when the village is mainly white with slate.

Princetown Distillery

Villagers are also concerned about the height of the building and whether the business is too big for Princetown.

Local resident Alison Geen wrote: “The pagoda whilst typical to Scottish distilleries is not typical here and inappropriate to a building in Princetown or anywhere on Dartmoor.”

One villager, who gave their name as D Spence, wrote that they would be more supportive of the idea if it made “less of an impact to the area“.

Even the architect for the distillery said the design of the high tower and general appearance of the property is purely cosmetic and in keeping to a traditional Scottish distillery,” they said.

Well Princetown is not Scotland and the looks are not in keeping to the local area.”

However, some residents support the plans, recognising the potential boost to jobs, investment and visitors to the area.

Stuart Ross wrote that it was a “great idea” for the village, reports the BBC.