Highland Spring Group, leading UK producer of natural source waters, welcomed First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney MSP to their site in Blackford, Perthshire today. The First Minister met members of the leadership, water resource and manufacturing teams and was given a tour of the Highland Spring water source and catchment area in the Ochil Hills.
The First Minister along with Jim Fairlie MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire were shown the protected, organically accredited Highland Spring catchment area which stretches across over 2,500 acres of the beautiful Ochil Hills in Perthshire.
The land has nothing but nature on it and allows the rainfall to filter naturally over many years through the rock to depths of up to 300 feet before being bottled at the Blackford plant in its natural source condition. Responsible environmental stewardship and a focus on biodiversity and healthy ecosystems is central to the company’s mission to ensure the sustainability of the land and water for generations to come.
In the last eight years the Group has invested over £60m in new buildings, plant, and equipment at the Blackford headquarters, including one of the fastest production lines in Europe, which can fill at speeds of 73,000 bottles an hour. As the business focuses on unlocking future growth and reaching £200 million sales, they recently entered the 400 million litres flavoured water category, with a new Highland Spring Flavoured Still Water range supported by a £10 million investment which will provide circa 25% of extra growth capability every year.
The Group’s dedicated rail freight facility in Blackford, the first to launch in Scotland in over a decade, has now been fully operational for over two years. 40% of the water supplied from the main bottling plant in Blackford is transported by rail, removing 8,000 HGV movements from the roads, and saving over 3,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
First Minister John Swinney said: “Scotland’s breathtaking landscapes, rich biodiversity, and abundant natural resources are much more than a source of pride – they are the foundation of our future prosperity with investment in rebuilding natural capital being key to economic growth.These natural assets, such as our world-famous water, support at least £40 billion in economic output and around 260,000 jobs.
“Highland Spring is an excellent example of a home-grown Scottish business investing in natural resources and producing exceptional products. The quality of Highland Spring products is reflected in the speed of its growth as a brand, which has allowed for subsequent investment in its production facilities here in Perthshire.
“The company’s innovative rail freight facility, supported by £4.47 million funding from the Scottish Government, has enabled the business to reduce its carbon footprint by transporting its goods more sustainably, whilst also reducing the number of HGV vehicles on local roads.
“Highland Spring’s dedication to the land and the community around this site is clearly key to its success. We will continue to support sustainable businesses like Highland Spring to utilise and steward our incredible landscapes and ecosystems – for the benefit of our economy, our people and our planet.”
Simon Oldham, Managing Director of Highland Spring Group said: “We were delighted to welcome the First Minister to our site and proud to showcase our business, brand, and the untouched, organic land from which we draw our iconic Highland Spring water.
As a key local employer, we are focused on making a positive socio-economic impact in Perthshire and across Scotland as part of our long-term strategy to invest in and develop innovative, high-quality, sustainable products which provide healthy hydration in an environmentally sustainable way.”
