A special limited release of quarter casks to celebrate the return of whisky production to Inverness have been launched by the Uile-bheist distillery.

The malts, made using water from the River Ness, are the first to be produced in Inverness for more than 40 years since the demise of the Millburn, Glen Mhor and Glen Albyn distilleries.

The Highland capital was once known as a malting town but its linked with distilling disappeared completed in the 1980s when its trinity of distilleries suddenly closed down with major job losses.

Uile-bheist is looking to reconnect enthusiasts with that proud heritage by launching a trio of unique casts which mark a new beginning for single highland malt whisky production in the city.

Drew Shearer is the company’s head distiller and says it offers buyers a chance to buy a piece of history. The new malt offerings are matured in charred, peated and un-peated casks.

He said: “We are proud to bring these limited quarter casks to the market, the first chapter in the Inverness whisky revival.

“So much detail and precision goes into our new-make spirit and we select the casks very carefully to produce the high quality we want; quality that the city was always known for.

"Our charred quarter casks will give rich vanilla notes to the whisky. When charring, lignin in the wood is broken down to produce vanillin. That will provide a fresh, vibrant flavour with layers of sweetness and depth.

“The un-peated quarter casks will provide a more mellow, delicate flavour and a little flora in the maturation which will deliver a subtle, refined flavour.

“With the peated quarter casks, you will pick up some of the distinctive smoky, seaweed character from the Islay malt whisky previously matured in those casks.”

The distillery has also been working with historian Jason Julier to piece together the story of the city’s lost distilleries.

In the past, Novelist Neil Gunn was exciseman at Glen Mhor whilst three bottles of Mackinlay’s malt were salvaged from the ice under Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Cape Royds Antarctic expedition hut in 2010 and found to be near pristine after almost 120 years.

The distillery hopes to incorporate some of the rare artefacts and images of the past for tour visitors to its state-of-the-art distillery.

Whisky consultant Mitch Bechard, said: “It’s exciting to see Inverness reclaim its place on the whisky map.”