Pitlochry brothers to open hometown brewery eight years after starting in parents' garage

The Pitlochry brothers who founded the successful Wasted Degrees Brewing have this week been given the go-ahead to build a brewery in their hometown less than a mile from where it all started.

Eight years after Conall Low began brewing beer in his parents’ garage in a 25-litre plastic bottle, he now brews 25,000 litres a month – alongside his brother Jack – and exports beer to 13 countries.

This week Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) granted planning permission for Wasted Degrees – currently based in Blair Atholl – to build a brewery, taproom and shop on Pitlochry’s Ferry Road.

The new site is expected to open late next year.

Six objections were submitted opposing the plans, alongside two neutral representations and 22 letters of support for the plans submitted to the local authority.

Objector Ms McPhee spoke on behalf of residents at the gypsy/traveller Bobbin Mill site who she said had been “excluded completely”.

She said: “We have been proactive in submitting objections but beyond that not even a local councillor has come to talk to us; the applicant has never courteously come to talk to us.”

The objector argued a brewery would lead to “a decline in the current state of health which isn’t good anyway” amongst residents.

She also argued it was “not conducive to the health of recovering alcoholics walking to the doctor’s surgery” just beyond the site.

She said she had been told by an expert there was “a drip drip effect in the emissions from any brewery and there was no way you could prevent the air becoming imbued with alcohol and the drip drip effect eventually attacks the central nervous system”.

She said they were “digitally excluded too” due to “no internet more than 50 per cent of the time” and raised concern about the destruction of some ancient woodland.

Wasted Degrees co-owner Jack Low countered some of the claims made.

He said: “We do not align with the point made on ancient woodland nor does our qualified ecologist. We are removing some trees – a good number of them have a contagious fungus – and replacing with greater numbers.

“This is a site with a long history of industrial use. We feel it’s a good site for us to be in. It’s surrounded on three sides by raised ground and by trees.

“We understand change might be unsettling. It’s why we have reached out proactively to our notifiable neighbours in the post rather than digitally, through local press and likewise published social media to make sure there was visibility in what we are looking to achieve here.”

He suggested some of the objection reasons “bore little relevance to our development” and “most of the content was conjecture and in our view misguided”.

Mr Low said – unlike whisky – there was “no angel’s share” in brewing beer.

Jack added: “We are certainly not emitting ethanol into the atmosphere. Indeed, ethanol is what we sell and what we contain and package and indeed export, as we do, to 13 countries now. I fully and outright object the comment made in the objections that we’re going to be replacing oxygen in the local air supply. I think that’s scientifically nonsensical.”

Presenting his plans to councillors, he said: “We’re the largest independent brewery in Perth and Kinross. This has been built up now over nearly eight years now from nothing more than a 25-litre plastic bucket. This was my brother’s hobby. We now produce 25,000 litres every month generating economic value for Perth and Kinross, Scotland, the UK and beyond.

“What we do is done with integrity, sincerity and sustainability at its core; it’s done purposefully.

“We’re looking to bring a significant manufacturing business to Pitlochry. We want to stay in Perth and Kinross; I want to stay in my hometown. We’re creating jobs, increasing local supply chains – in fact, taking barley from five miles from where our brewery is to brew our beer.”

The plans were unanimously approved by the committee.

Speaking afterwards Jack Low said: “We’re really proud to reach this milestone in the brewery’s development.

“155 years ago was the last time Pitlochry had a brewery in the town itself, and what makes this even more special is our new site is around a mile away from where we grew up, and where Conall started Wasted Degrees in our parent’s garage back in 2016 with his then business partner John.”

He added: “We expect to open the new site in late-2025, but in the meantime it’s business as usual here at our site in Blair Atholl.”