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Sinclair Breweries has opened the tendering process for a massive expansion of its Orkney Brewery, which makes its flagship Dark Island beer.

The plans will see the company triple its brewing capacity to boost production of its existing products, in particular Dark Island, but also its 8.5% Skullsplitter brew and Red McGregor.

Sinclair Breweries, which also owns the Atlas Brewery at Kinlochleven in Argyll, will open a visitor centre and events venue, which will host tasting events and Orkney evenings for visitors, on the site.

The expansion will see the company taking on two new full-time brewing staff plus three more full-time and eight part-time employees for the visitor centre. Currently the brewery can not host visitors.

Sinclair Breweries, which bought the Orkney plant two years ago, hopes work will start on the project in August with the brewery expansion completed in five months and the visitor centre opened by March 2009.