Exotic animal sanctuary seeks approval on gin distillery site

Plans have been lodged to turn the site of a former gin distillery in southern Scotland into a home for exotic animals.

The Eclipse Animal Sanctuary (EAS) wants to convert the site at Dalton in Dumfries and Galloway to house a variety of species including a wolfdog, lynx, turkey vulture and an American red fox.

An application said the small-scale development would cater for about 20 rescue animals alongside eight pet dogs.

It described the project as "low-impact rural diversification, appropriate to its countryside setting".

The site, a few miles from Lockerbie, opened as a distillery and visitor centre in 2017 with a hut licensed for drinking parties.

Visitor numbers are said to have reached up to 20,000 a year, but it closed in 2023 and was put up for sale for offers over £280,000.

Now plans - which are partly retrospective - have been submitted to Dumfries and Galloway Council to put it to a very different use.

"The scale of activity is significantly less intensive than the former distillery use, both in terms of noise, hours of operation, traffic generation and general activity," said a statement submitted with the plans.

"The sanctuary is not a commercial attraction and does not operate as a business open to the public."

The plans would also see a residential property created on the site.

However, in the meantime they hope to use an existing static caravan as temporary accommodation "due to the need for round-the-clock animal supervision, rapid response in emergencies and site security in a remote rural setting."

The sanctuary's primary purpose is the "rescue, rehabilitation and lifelong care of exotic animals".

On its website Eclipse said it aimed to inspire "understanding, responsibility and conservation for some of the world's most misunderstood animals".

A representative of the sanctuary told the BBC it was completely self-funded and catered for animals that needed a "safe space to live".

Its lynx was rescued during lockdown when it was at risk of being euthanised while many of the other animals were saved from neglect.

"I understand that people may have questions about keeping these animals near neighbouring farms," said the spokesperson.

"Livestock from those farms regularly come right up to the boundary fence, and the animals have remained comfortable around one another.

"My neighbours have also been round and introduced to the animals and they love them.

"The predatory animals are housed in specially-designed, secure enclosures."

The enclosures are also inspected on site every day as well as annually as part of the conditions of their Dangerous Wild Animal licence.