A 28-YEAR-OLD Scot is heading home from the US to become one of the youngest distillery managers in history.

Coatbridge-born Brendan McCarron, who has been working in New York for the past year, will take over the running of Diageo's Oban Distillery later this month.

And the owners believe he's the youngest person to take the post at the 214-year-old distillery.

The outgoing site manager Kenny Gray, who retired earlier this year, was with the company for 40 years.

Brendan said: "I started working with Diageo in 2006 at their new Roseisle distillery in Moray as a design engineer, then I went on to work at the company's site in Leven, overseeing the disgorging unit at the plant.

"I've been fortunate enough to spend the last year working in New York on Diageo's North American operation and I've really enjoyed my time in the US.

"Now I'm returning home to Scotland and I'm very much looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in Oban."

Brendan joined drinks giant Diageo Scotland as part of its global supply graduate scheme, which sees Scottish degree holders sent across the world.

The firm has been driving the graduate message home recently.

Last month it announced it is to sponsor several postgraduate scholarships at the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University, the only university in Scotland to have such a facility.

The scholarships, announced as Diageo chief executive Paul Walsh took up the chairmanship of the Scotch Whisky Association last year, will be offered to support the study of the postgraduate diploma or MSc in brewing and distilling.

The new scholarship, worth £6000 over three years, starts in September.

It is open to all students, but one thing Diageo has tried to push is for anyone qualifying for the scholarship should have a connection to Scotland in some way.

Professor Paul Hughes, director of the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling, said: "These scholarships are a recognition from Diageo of the value of our course. It's important we keep up our links with industry as we want our students to continue to find good jobs when they graduate.

"Diageo is a major employer world-wide and a very competitive company to join."