Western Gold Exploration Ltd. has completed its maiden drilling campaign at the Coire a'Ghabhalach vein target within the Caledonian Gold Project in central Scotland, finishing four holes for a total of 667 metres.

The drilling focused on gold anomalies identified through channel, backpack drill, and soil sampling at the prospect, which forms part of the Glen Lyon Joint Venture. Western Gold Exploration holds a 90% interest and acts as operator, while joint venture partner Acrux Gold holds a 10% interest. Acrux Gold owns the Cononish mine, located directly along strike to the Lyon area and operating as Scotland's first and only producing gold-silver mine.

Surface sampling across the target area yielded polymetallic intervals including a channel sample of 2.5 metres grading 5.18 g/t gold, 0.34% lead, and 31.9 g/t silver in sample CGCS-1, which included a 0.6-metre interval assaying 16.70 g/t gold. Backpack drill testing returned several high-grade intercepts, such as 1.4 metres at 9.94 g/t gold, 1.25% zinc, and 1.61% lead in hole CGSD-6, 1.8 metres at 7.53 g/t gold, 1.50% zinc, and 1.03% lead in hole CGSD-9, and 1.0 metre at 12.95 g/t gold, 0.78% zinc, and 0.43% lead in hole CGSD-7.

Veining and associated wallrock alteration at Coire a'Ghabhalach have been traced over a strike length of at least 180 metres, with the extent constrained by overburden rather than a defined termination of the mineralised system. All intercepts remain open at depth and along strike.

Prior to initiating the maiden drilling campaign, field exploration across the project licence areas included rock-grab and drainage sampling that yielded outcrop grab samples of up to 64.9 grams per tonne gold and float samples of up to 252 grams per tonne gold.

Assay results from the completed Coire a'Ghabhalach drilling program are expected in October 2026. Western Gold Exploration has already advanced operations to the second target of the campaign, Creag Sheileach, where drilling is underway.

“The high-grade gold intervals emerging from surface sampling are exactly what we had hoped to see and give us real confidence in the targeting work that's gone into this programme,” commented Harry Dobson, Chairman. “We look forward to reporting drill results as they become available.”

— Harry Dobson, Chairman

Read the full announcement: Western Gold Completes Drilling at First Target and Reports High Grade Surface Sampling Results for Caledonian Gold Project