Edzell’s Glenesk Hotel is a dram fine destination

Establishment can offer more than 1,000 to choose from

An Angus hotel has 1,031 good reasons to toast its success after finding its way into the Guinness Book of World Records as a dram lover’s dream destination.

The Glenesk Hotel, just inside the famous stone arch of the village of Edzell, has captured the crown of having the greatest number of different whiskies for sale behind the counter of its bar, with something for every taste – and pocket – in the collection.

And the world-beating figure is just part of an array which, boosted by owner Dylan Wren’s own personal stock of rarities, tops 2,500 bottles.

The whiskies include malts from every working distillery in Scotland and many hard-to-find bottlings, including the bar’s most expensive 25-year-old Lagavulin, with a not-to-be-sniffed-at price tag of £248 a dram.

Mr Wren bought the hotel five years ago and his collection of a couple of hundred whiskies spiralled.

Operations manager Samuel Allen said: “When he moved in he wanted to install the whisky bar, mostly as an attraction for our own guests but also as a way of showing how hugely important whisky is for the country.

“A hotel really should be part of the community and we just wanted to scream and shout about whisky, so the world record happened a bit by accident.”

The grandly-named Millionaire’s Casino in Ayrshire was the previous holder of the title and by the time the Glenesk began to think about going for the record, the hotel realised it was well past the benchmark of around 800.

“We have just had the world record confirmed in the last few days so we are really pleased,” added Mr Allen.

“It’s a passion for Dylan, but is also very important to everyone here at the hotel.”

Connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike can also browse the bar’s two huge whisky bibles, in which every bottle is logged, along with the tasting notes to enjoy the dram in their hand to the full.

we just wanted to scream and shout about whisky, so the world record happened a bit by accident

Pictures: Paul Reid. Left: Glenesk Hotel operations manager Samuel Allen with the Lagavulin that costs £248 a dram. Top: some of the other 1,031 varieties on offer and, above, the hotel’s exterior.