RAF Saxa Vord in Unst, was situated at the outermost edge of the most northerly part of Shetland – nearer to Norway than Scotland. Its strategic location is no longer relevant in post Cold War times, but for 60 years the base had been the island's economic mainstay. Last year's closure were a devastating blow. For Blackwood Distillers it was a case of being in the right place at the right time.

"The economic aspect of doing this at Unst is that when we move in, we're aiming for a straight one-to-one swap when it comes to locally based jobs", says Whitworth, who emphasises that no public funding is involved.

No prizes for guessing that the sheer audacity of Whitfield's approach is the reason investors took a chance on her in the first place.

Source: Scotsman

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