Monster deal revives Loch Ness beer brand

Two Highland businesses have formed a partnership to revive a well-known craft beer brand.

Loch Ness Beer disappeared from shop shelves earlier this year after its Drumnadrochit-based parent company went bust.

Cairngorm Brewery recently acquired the Loch Ness trademarks and 20 recipes from the failed micro-brewery's administrators Johnston Carmichael.

It has formed a partnership with hotel, cafe and craft bakery group Cobbs.

Under the arrangement, Cobbs will stock Loch Ness products at its outlets across Scotland.

The Loch Ness Beer brand had been developing in recent years, counting supermarket giant Asda among its high-profile contracts.

Aviemore-based Cairngorm Brewery, which previously bottled beer for the collapsed Loch Ness Brewing Company, said it felt that the brand was too important to lose.

Managing director Sam Faircliff said: "The Loch Ness brand is so well known globally that it will be a great opportunity for the export market as well as here at home."

Rory Cameron, managing director of Cobbs Bakery, said: "We are delighted to join forces with Cairngorm Brewery and we look forward to bringing Loch Ness Brewery products to our 17 Cobbs outlets across Scotland and further afield in due course."

Gordon MacLure, restructuring partner at Johnston Carmichael, said: "It's pleasing to see a well-known brand like Loch Ness being given a new lease of life under the ownership of Cairngorm and Cobbs.

"The management teams of both businesses have the experience and infrastructure to take Loch Ness into a very bright future and we are very pleased to have played our part in helping preserve the existence of the iconic brand."