Jon Erasmus
Jon Erasmus entered Scotland’s whisky industry through an unconventional route. He was born in Durban, South Africa, and as a young man he first worked in information technology, then developed a successful hospitality business alongside his wife, Victoria. Their eventual venture into whisky production combined more than two decades of hospitality experience with a commitment to Highland heritage, modern engineering, and environmental sustainability. The result was a new distillery on the banks of the River Ness, bringing whisky production back to a city whose historic distilling industry had disappeared during the twentieth century. The distillery’s name, Uile-bheist, means “monster” in Gaelic, and is roughly pronounced “Ewl-uh-Vesht.” It pays homage to the area’s most famous resident, Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.
Erasmus and his wife began their hospitality careers around 2000, when they purchased a hotel in Pitlochry, Scotland. At the time, Jon worked in information technology, while Victoria was a teacher in Inverness. Neither had previous experience operating a hotel, but their first acquisition introduced them to the practical demands of hospitality management. Over the following two decades, they expanded their business interests, eventually becoming the owners of the Glen Mhor Hotel and Apartments and the Waterside Restaurant in Inverness. Their hospitality operations provided the foundation for an ambitious new enterprise that would unite accommodation, dining, brewing, and whisky distillation.
Inverness had once supported a substantial whisky industry, including the Glen Mhor, Glen Albyn, and Millburn distilleries. All three had closed by the mid-1980s, leaving the Highland capital without an operating Scotch whisky distillery. Erasmus recognized the opportunity to restore distilling to the city while developing another attraction for visitors exploring the Scottish Highlands. His initial plans concentrated on brewing, and in 2014 he submitted an application to establish a brewery on the Ness Bank property. That application was rejected, delaying the project that would eventually become Uile-bheist.
The concept subsequently developed into a combined brewery and distillery, designed to operate alongside the couple's existing hospitality businesses. Its location presented significant engineering and planning challenges because construction would take place in a conservation area between historic buildings, while the neighboring hotel and apartments remained operational. The project also required an integrated energy system capable of supporting multiple businesses. Construction began in January 2021, bringing together a distillery, brewery, energy center, visitor facilities, and hospitality operations within a single development.
Erasmus made environmental sustainability a defining feature of the enterprise. The facility incorporated a district heating system using shallow water wells and heat pumps to recover energy associated with the River Ness. Rooftop solar panels contributed electricity, while the integrated energy infrastructure supported the distillery and neighboring hospitality properties. The project received support through Scottish Government low-carbon initiatives and organizations including Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Energy Saving Trust. These investments made energy efficiency an integral part of the distillery's physical design rather than a separate addition to its operations.
In June 2022, Erasmus publicly outlined plans for the new distillery and brewery, emphasizing their relationship with the River Ness and the folklore of the Highlands. The name Uile-bheist, meaning monster in Scottish Gaelic, reflected the legends associated with the region, particularly Loch Ness. Erasmus and his team also commissioned Australian illustrator Ken Taylor to develop the distillery's distinctive monster imagery. The resulting identity connected the enterprise to Highland storytelling while giving its whisky and visitor experience a recognizable contemporary character.
Uile-bheist officially opened in February 2023, representing an investment reported at approximately £8 million. It became the first new distillery constructed in Inverness in roughly 130 years, restoring whisky production to a city with a long distilling history. Erasmus established the facility as a small-scale producer rather than a volume-driven operation, with initial plans for approximately 200 to 300 casks of Highland single malt whisky annually. The combined brewery and distillery also provided a working demonstration of how related production processes could share equipment and infrastructure. On July 10, 2023, Uile-bheist filled its first whisky casks, marking a decisive milestone in Erasmus's undertaking. The distillery also produced 500 half-liter bottles of new-make spirit at 63.5% alcohol by volume, allowing enthusiasts to experience its character before maturation. A limited cask ownership program attracted buyers, including residents of Inverness and the surrounding Highlands, giving the project a direct connection with the community it served.
For Erasmus, Uile-bheist represented the extension of a hospitality career into whisky production and the restoration of an important Inverness industry. By 2024, the distillery was promoting additional cask ownership opportunities while continuing to develop its Highland single malt. The enterprise brought together the family's experience in tourism, the technical expertise of its distilling team, and an energy system designed for long-term efficiency. Erasmus had established more than another Highland visitor attraction: he had returned working copper stills to the center of Inverness and created a new chapter in the city's whisky-making history.
Sources:
The Press and Journal, “New Inverness Distillery Looks to a Heady Tourism Brew”, Simon Warburton, February 28, 2023, pressandjournal.co.uk
The Spirits Business, “First Distillery for 40 Years to Open in Inverness”, Alice Brooker, June 29, 2022, thespiritsbusiness.com
Scottish Financial News, “Uile-bheist Distillery and Brewery Opens in Inverness”, March 2023, scottishfinancialnews.com
Whisky Magazine, “Inverness' First New Distillery in 130 Years Opens”, 2023, whiskymag.com
The Press and Journal, “Is Inverness 'Brewstillery' Showing Way for Craft Beer-Makers?”, Peter Ranscombe, November 28, 2023, pressandjournal.co.uk
Scottish Financial News, “Inverness' Uile-bheist Distillery Fills Maiden Casks”, July 13, 2023, scottishfinancialnews.com
Uile-bheist Distillery & Brewery official website, uilebheist.com
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee USA
