The Scotch Whisky Experience is a whisky visitor attraction located on Castlehill in the Old Town of Edinburgh, immediately adjacent to the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. The centre offers tours and whisky tutoring sessions, alongside a shop, corporate spaces and Amber Restaurant & Whisky Bar.
Opened in 1988, the Scotch Whisky Experience is located in the former premises of the Castlehill School. Although the school was mixed, boys and girls were kept apart by separate sets of stairways – a design feature which the building still maintains. Due to falling school numbers, the school closed in 1951, fulfilling various roles afterwards, including a catering school, an urban studies centre and a general store. [1]
In July 1987, 19 individual Scotch whisky companies jointly invested £2m to create The Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre – a permanent attraction based on the history and development of Scotch whisky. The new attraction opened on 5 May 1988, changing its name to The Scotch Whisky Experience in 2006. [2]
In 2008, the attraction became home to the world's largest collection of Scotch whisky, featuring 3,384 bottles. The collection had been built up over 35 years by Brazilian whisky enthusiast Claive Vidiz, who believed it only right that the collection return to its home country. [3] The collection is housed in a specially designed glass and marble vault and was opened by then Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, in May 2009. [4]
The attraction's shop underwent a £1m refurbishment in 2012, to incorporate a host of new features, including an interactive tasting map and touch-screen distillery guide. [5] During the same year, the International Spirits Challenge was held at the venue for the first time [6] and it became home to the world's largest bottle of single malt whisky. [7]
In 2013, the attraction celebrated its 25th birthday, which included the launch of an anniversary blend and the unveiling of a one-off commemorative Quaich. [8] Amber Restaurant and Whisky Bar – located in the vaults of the attraction – also underwent a refurbishment, unveiling a new bar which offered over 360 different whiskies from across Scotland. [9]
The attraction's six-year, £7m programme of refurbishments came to an end in 2015 with an upgrade of the building's corporate spaces. [10]
In January 2023, the attraction began work on a new tour experience. [11]
In 2013, 300,000 people visited the attraction, with more than 155,000 taking the tour. [12] These figures rose to 308,000 people in 2014, with 157,000 taking the tour. In 2023 cumulative visitor numbers totalled 8.5 million. [13] While visitors from traditional markets made up the bulk of visitors, people from emerging whisky markets, including China, Brazil and India, made up a large proportion of visitors. [14]
Scotch whisky, often simply called whisky or Scotch, is malt whisky or grain whisky made in Scotland.
Scotland is a well-developed tourist destination, with tourism generally being responsible for sustaining 200,000 jobs mainly in the service sector, with tourist spending averaging at £4bn per year. In 2013, for example, UK visitors made 18.5 million visits to Scotland, staying 64.5 million nights and spending £3.7bn. In contrast, overseas residents made 1.58 million visits to Scotland, staying 15 million nights and spending £806m. In terms of overseas visitors, those from the United States made up 24% of visits to Scotland, with the United States being the largest source of overseas visitors, and Germany (9%), France (8%), Canada (7%) and Australia (6%), following behind.
Speyside single malts are single malt Scotch whiskies, distilled in Strathspey, the area around the River Spey in Moray and Badenoch and Strathspey, in northeastern Scotland.
The Glenlivet distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery near Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland, that produces single malt Scotch whisky. It is the oldest legal distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. It was founded in 1824 and has operated almost continuously since.
Diageo plc is a British multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits. Distilleries owned by Diageo produce 40 percent of all Scotch whisky with over 24 brands, such as Johnnie Walker, J&B and Old Parr.
The Macallan distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Craigellachie in Moray in the north-east of Scotland. The Macallan Distillers Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Edrington, which purchased the brand from Highland Distillers in 1999.
Glenmorangie distillery is a distillery in Tain, Ross-shire, Scotland, that produces single malt Scotch whisky.
Glenfiddich distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery located in the Scottish burgh of Dufftown in Moray, Scotland. Is owned by William Grant & Sons. The name Glenfiddich derives from the Scottish Gaelic Gleann Fhiodhaich meaning "valley of the deer", which is reflected in Glenfiddich's stag logo.
Oban distillery is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery located in the Scottish west coast port of Oban. Established in 1794, it was built before the town of the same name, which sprang up later in the surrounding craggy harbour.
Rosebank Distillery is a Lowland single malt Scotch whisky distillery situated in Camelon on the banks of the Forth and Clyde canal between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is a trade organisation that represents the Scotch whisky industry. The Scotch whisky industry is an important part of the Scottish economy, and particularly the Scottish export market.
Glen Scotia distillery or sometimes affectionately known as The Scotia or Old Scotia is a distillery that is a producer of single malt Scotch whisky. The distillery was founded in 1832 and is one of just three distilleries left in Campbeltown, the smallest whisky region.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), founded in Edinburgh in 1983, is a membership organisation which bottles and sells single cask, single malt whisky. It purchases individual casks from more than 170 malt whisky distilleries in Scotland and throughout the world, bottles them and retails directly to its members. It also runs four private members' rooms in the UK and in several international locations.
Aberlour distillery is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky distillery, in Aberlour, Strathspey, Scotland, at the confluence of the Lour Burn and River Spey near Ben Rinnes.
Eden Mill St Andrews are independent distillers based in Guardbridge, Scotland, about 3 miles (5km) north-west of St Andrews. The distillery is located on a 38-acre site, known as the Eden Campus, owned by the University of St Andrews. Brewing began in 2012.
Isle of Raasay Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the Inner Hebridean Isle of Raasay in Northwest Scotland. The distillery is owned by R&B Distillers and was the first legal distillery on the Isle of Raasay when it opened in 2017.
Clydeside distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery in Glasgow, Scotland. When production began in 2017, Clydeside was the first active distillery in Glasgow city centre for over 100 years.
Harris distillery is a Scotch whisky and Gin distillery in Tarbert on the Isle of Harris, Scotland. The distillery was the first legal distillery ever built on Harris.
Glasgow distillery is a Scotch whisky, gin and rum distillery in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2020, the distillery was named distillery of the year at the Scottish Whisky Awards. Glasgow distillery was the first active distillery in greater Glasgow since 1902.
Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd. is an independent, family-owned business which produces Scotch whisky and other spirits, based in Broxburn, Scotland. It was founded by Leonard Russell, Snr. in 1933. They own three single malt whisky distilleries: Glengoyne distillery, Tamdhu distillery, and Rosebank distillery and one gin distillery: Edinburgh Gin. They also produce a number of other distilled spirits including Smokehead Islay whisky.
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