Over the past 12 months, the number of tourists visiting Diageo’s 12 distillery visitor centres across Scotland reached a record high of 440,260, an increase of 15.2% on the previous year and the highest figure reported to date.
Blair Athol Distillery |
Blair Athol Distillery in Pitlochry, the home of the Bells’ Scotch whisky brand, was Diageo’s busiest distillery visitor centre drawing in 86,019 people over the 12 month period. This rise in visitors, up 23% from the previous year, is in part due to the launch of the site’s innovative mash tun whisky tasting bar which was officially opened by Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, in July.
Other success stories include Clynelish Distillery, situated in Brora, experiencing the biggest year-on-year increase in figures to 8,544, a rise of over 127% from 3,771 the previous year, while Lagavulin Distillery’s Visitor Centre welcomed 27,040 people through its doors in 2017 as it capped its 200th year with a 50% rise in visitors.
Diageo operates 28 Scotch malt whisky distilleries, of which 12 have dedicated visitor centres, which include the homes of some of Diageo’s most iconic Scotch whisky brands such as Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch and Glenkinchie, Talisker, Oban, Dalwhinnie and Cardhu single malts.
Posted by Steve Rush