Distillery welcomes 37,000 visitors

GLENKINCHIE Distillery welcomed more than 37,000 guests to its revitalised visitor experience last year.

Drinks manufacturer Diageo welcomed a record-breaking number of tourists to its “brand home experiences” in 2023, with more than a million visitors to 13 sites in Scotland.

The results, announced last month, follow an investment of £185m in Scotch whisky tourism, including delivering its flagship Johnnie Walker Princes Street experience.

Glenkinchie, near Pencaitland, is known for producing Lowland single malt whisky, and visitors to the distillery can enjoy a range of experiences, from a guided tour that explores the distillery’s history and production process, to a tasting of its awardwinning whiskies.

Eleanor Gillies, regional brand home manager at Diageo, said: “Scotch whisky is well established as Scotland’s leading export to the world and every bottle is an invitation to visit Scotland and experience its amazing culture, heritage and environment.

“Scotch whisky tourism creates opportunities all across Scotland, from our Capital city to the communities of the Highlands and islands, where many of our distilleries are located. We are incredibly pleased to have increased visitor footfall across our portfolio of brand homes and are proud to play our part in increasing tourism opportunities across the regions in which we operate.”

Last year Diageo welcomed 1.13 million visitors across all its experiences.

Marc Crothall, CEO of Scottish Tourism Alliance, said: “These figures highlight further evidence that Scotch whisky is making a fantastic contribution to both driving visitor demand and growing Scotland’s visitor economy across the length and breadth of the country.”