Nominee Summary
The Moffat Distillery is a family-run, independently owned Scotch whisky and gin distillery in the Scottish Southern Uplands. Home to Scotland’s first wood-fired stills in 200 years, we produce small-batch spirits using traditional methods with modern sustainability. Founded by Nick and Erin Bullard, our growing team crafts whisky that connects people to place, story, and each other. We offer immersive tours, tastings, and community events, championing inclusive experiences and regenerative land stewardship. From locally sourced wood fuel to rewilding efforts, every part of our process honours nature, craft, and community—making whisky differently: soulfully, sustainably, and with deep local roots.
Overcoming Challenges
Dark Sky Spirits was founded in 2017 by Nick Bullard with a mission to create tastes that spark conversations that build friendships that strengthen communities. After launching our first blended malt, The Moffat, in 2018, it became clear we needed a permanent home. Having settled our young family in Moffat, it was vital to build our distillery here, too. From the start, community has shaped every decision. Before planning permission, we hand-delivered letters with return envelopes to neighbours, hosted town hall meetings, and invited open dialogue. Community feedback directly informed our building design, use of space, and operational plans. Building Scotland’s first wood-fired distillery came with major logistical and regulatory hurdles. We chose this slower, traditional method because it’s more sustainable and reflects our commitment to place. Our distillery is compliant with Dark Sky standards, a nod to Moffat’s status as Europe’s first Dark Sky Town. As an independent, family-run business, we’ve relied heavily on the strength of the local community—not just for support, but for childcare, collaboration, and connection. That foundation has allowed us to pour our energy into a project bigger than ourselves. We’re proud to act as a welcoming gateway to Dumfries and Galloway, drawing visitors who stay, explore and contribute to the region. We couldn’t have built this anywhere else. Moffat gave us the confidence, and the community, to turn vision into reality.
Supporting the community
Our local community is our town and surrounding farmlands and countryside. Moffat is home to several rewilded areas and nature reserves. It is Scotland’s first Eagle Town, and has two major footpaths that pass through the town: The Southern Upland Way and the Annandale Way. People and nature strike a balance here - and we want to enhance that relationship. Our Local Dram blended malts champion towns in Dumfries and Galloway: The Doonhamer for Dumfries and the Muckletoon for Langholm. In 2021, we released a special bottling for the Moffat Eagle Festival which helped to raise awareness and funds for the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project. Have done similar bottlings for the Stranraer Oyster Festival and DG Arts Festival. We attend events that support local groups, such as providing the prizes and bar for the 3-day Moffat Pétanque Tournament We are in our seventh year as part of the Moffat Farmers Market. We have hosted several community groups at the distillery including the Moffat Mountain Rescue Team, local school teachers, older adult care groups, Probus Club, local Women’s Institute groups and the Dark Sky walk during the Moffat Walking Weekend. To enhance the offerings in the community, we have transformed our space to create a concert venue for musicians, providing a peaceful setting for locals to enjoy acoustic performances. We house a 7 1/2 Steinway for a church in Dumfries so that it can be played regularly (even some of our pianist visitors have given some impromptu performances!).
Ethical/environmental standards
Sustainability and ethics are woven into every aspect of our work—from energy to heritage, people to place. We use locally sourced waste wood to heat our stills and our building to reduce fossil fuel dependence. We also harness passive solar gain year-round, maintaining an EPC rating of A (10). Circularity drives our operations: draff and pot ale feed nearby farms, spent botanicals and coffee grounds enrich local compost, and we reclaim 85% of cardboard packaging. All samples are served in glass, with zero single-use plastics. We work with local suppliers—such as Kofeopia coffee from Moffat—and choose human-powered tools over fuel-driven alternatives wherever possible. We are rewilding 12 acres of our site in partnership with Restoring Annan Water and Galloway Fisheries Trust, enhancing biodiversity and supporting river health. Nearly half our guests arrive via active or public transport, and we promote low-impact recreation with trail access and river-based activities. Accessibility and inclusion are central: we are listed on Euan’s Guide, and are preparing a full Access Guide for 2025. We welcome guests of all abilities to our fully accessible distillery. Over 30% of our supplier spend is local, and we highlight regional businesses in our shop and bar. Our tours centre Moffat’s stories—its landscape, geology and legends—connecting every dram to its place. In all we do, we aim to honour land, craft and community.
