Bec Chadwick, office manager with Nc’nean Distillery

Finding a dream role in Scotland

Nc’nean is a small whisky distillery located on the Morvern peninsula on the West Coast of Scotland. The eco-conscious team is committed to net zero with their operations powered 100% by renewable energy.  Their whisky is distilled using only organic Scottish barley and bottled in 100% recycled glass.

Bec Chadwick, originally from Australia, chats to us about her move to Scotland with partner, Roberto, and taking up her role as office manager with Nc’nean Distillery. 

How long have you lived in the Highlands and have you lived or worked anywhere else? 

"My partner and I moved to Drimnin from London just over two and a half years ago. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in in the Big Smoke, Roberto 10 years and me a mere three. It was a great place to meet people (and each other), gain some work experience and go for long urban strolls with some great people watching opportunities.

"However, we often found ourselves spending our holidays travelling up to Scotland with a tent and some questionable home-made dehydrated food, falling more in love with the Highlands on each trip. Our first holiday, after only 3 months together was wild camping on the Isle of Arran. Being originally from Australia I thought Arran was a person not a beautiful island! I was blown away by the scenery and the pubs that always seemed to pop out of nowhere just as we needed refuge from the rain."

Tell us a bit about your work. What do you do, how did you get into this sector and why did you choose to pursue your career here?

"When we saw that Nc’nean Distillery was looking for a couple to live on site and join the distillery team we jumped at the chance. We both met working in the same office for a well-known whisky retailer so had some experience. I also worked for a small whisky distillery in London in a very similar role, so we felt it would be silly not to apply.

"Just a few months before we saw the jobs we were sitting on a rock under Tobermory lighthouse on Mull, looking across the Sound, saying to each other ‘how do we get to live and work here?!’ Little did we know we were looking straight across the water to what would be our home the following year.

"The great thing about the move to Nc’nean was that I was able to continue developing my career. I hadn’t always planned to pursue a career in the drinks industry, I just kind of fell into it. You know how one job leads to another, a new door opens, and you hop from one stepping stone to the next. That’s how life has worked for me anyway!

"I would never have thought that when I left my job at a winery on the Mornington Peninsula in 2018, I’d find myself at a distillery in Scotland years later, but the journey has been lots of fun.

"We are a relatively small team here at Nc’nean. We now distribute across 18 countries while constantly trying new approaches and pushing the boundaries, so it’s a great environment to learn and develop in."

What do you love about living and working in the region?

"I love the community we have here. I grew up in a suburb in Western Sydney, so although I had a wonderful childhood I never felt a strong sense of community.

"Being involved in a small community is so special. People are more than happy to lend you tools or swap their empty jars for your tomato seedlings or give you a lift into town. There are always events on, ceilidhs, talks, bring a plate feasts, bonfires, to name a few, so you don’t have time to be bored. 

"We are more social here than we ever were in London! Plus, a night out can sometimes cost no more than some home-made beer and a good chat!

"We also enjoy the country lifestyle. We now have chickens and last year started growing veggies in our polytunnel, and we bought a tiny boat to try our hand at catching mackerel – there is nothing better than your dinner coming entirely from your backyard!" 

Find out more about Nc'nean on their website.