He shot to fame in the international TV hit Outlander.

But now Sam Heughan has returned to the ‘playground of his youth’ to buy a distillery in his home town.

The actor revealed that he has bought the premises in Dumfries in a bid to encourage more tourism to the region.

Mr Heughan told The Scotland on Sunday: ‘It’s basically a homecoming for me. I was born and raised here and I feel very, very thankful to come from such an amazing place.’

‘People come to Scotland, especially tourists, and they go up north and to Skye, Glencoe but actually there’s so much to discover in Galloway.’

He added: ‘I created the Galloway distillery to champion and celebrate the unique terroir and history of this beautiful corner of Scotland. A homecoming and new chapter, in the pursuit of fine spirit.’

The distillery, which has operated as Crafty Distillery since 2017, will be renamed as Galloway Distillery in a proud tribute to the surrounding landscape.

Outlander’s Sam Heughan has created the Galloway Distillery in his home town of Dumfries

The spirit house will also produce Heughan’s own award-winning Sassenach spirits, including his blended Scotch Whisky and Wild Scottish Gin, which is distilled using locally foraged botanicals from Dumfries and Galloway.

At the launch event the actor-turned-entrepreneur even hinted at the possibility of releasing a ‘new addition’ to the Sassenach range – a fresh whisky blend.

Announcing his latest venture, the 45-year-old made it clear that promoting his distillery would go hand-in-hand with a celebration of all the other attractions on offer in Dumfries and Galloway.

He said: ‘As a 10 year old boy, I stood triumphantly on the highest point of the derelict Kenmure Castle – the silhouette of the castle walls, crumbling turrets, empty windows and gaping doorways, like some uneven jagged ogre’s mouth.

Mr Heughan continued: ‘At that time I would never have imagined I would return, decades later, after travelling the world and delighting in other cultures, to literally walk back through the playground of my youth.

‘I dare you to lose yourself like I did, to travel back in time. To experience the magic that Galloway has to offer.’

Master distiller Craig Rankin, who has worked as commercial manager at the distillery for nearly a decade, said: ‘Sam grew up here and Galloway is close to his heart. It’s an understatement to say that he’s invested in Scotland, Galloway and creating spirits. He feels it deeply.