Black Isle Brewery

Black Isle Brewery was founded by David Gladwin in 1998 with an ambition that went beyond simply producing good beer. From the beginning, the brewery set out to demonstrate that high-quality beer could be made using naturally grown barley and hops while supporting organic farmers and growers who cared for the environment. At the time, sourcing organic brewing ingredients was considerably more difficult than it is today, with relatively few organic hop growers and limited awareness of organic production within the wider beer and hospitality industries.

As the brewery developed, that commitment to organic production remained at the heart of the business. Black Isle's beers are made using natural ingredients and certified organic, despite organic raw materials sometimes costing considerably more than conventional alternatives. For David and the brewery, the approach is closely connected to the way the wider farm is managed rather than being simply a feature of the beer itself.

A major step forward came in 2011 when Black Isle moved a short distance to a larger, more modern brewery and expanded with a new brewhouse and bottling line. At the same time, the business had the opportunity to acquire around 130 acres of surrounding farmland, allowing the brewery's environmental principles to extend directly into the landscape around its new home.

The farm has since become an important part of Black Isle's identity. More than 7,000 native broadleaf trees have been planted, hedgerows reinstated and new ponds and wetlands created to encourage biodiversity. A five-acre organic market garden close to the brewery grows vegetables, fruit and herbs using regenerative techniques including no-dig cultivation, agroforestry and biodynamic methods, with produce supplying Black Isle's hospitality venues.

Black Isle has also developed beyond the brewery itself, opening craft beer and pizza bars in Inverness and Fort William. Both showcase Black Isle beers alongside guest beers and use produce from the brewery farm and market garden wherever possible, connecting the brewing, farming and hospitality sides of the business. The Inverness bar has 26 taps and a rooftop garden, while the Fort William venue combines craft beer with wood-fired pizza and locally sourced ingredients.

Visitors can also experience Black Isle at its source in Munlochy. The brewery is open to the public, with tours available daily between 10am and 3.30pm, offering a look behind the scenes at how its organic beers are produced. An onsite brewery shop sells current releases and merchandise, while the nearby market garden gives visitors another glimpse of the wider organic farming operation surrounding the brewery.

More than two decades after it began, Black Isle remains guided by the principles that shaped the brewery in 1998. Brewing, farming and hospitality have grown together around a belief in working with the natural environment, supporting organic agriculture and producing beer from ingredients grown with consideration for the land that produces them.