ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET
Scotland’s distilleries have started to make a real effort to welcome visitors, but there is still scope to go much further
Distilleries are a huge tourist draw, but could reel in even more
There is something very emotional about the idea of drinking whisky in the place where it was made. That is why many people are prepared to travel halfway around the world to a remote corner of Scotland, just so they can sample their favourite spirit in its home. Flying all the way from Japan, say, and finding yourself in one of Islay’s eight distilleries takes commitment, planning and a serious outlay of both money and time. It is, in other words, a pilgrimage – and a very good reason why whisky tourists should get the red-carpet treatment at every distillery they visit.
So are we making them feel welcome? Well, we must be doing something right: according to figures just released by the Scotch Whisky Association, more people visited Scotland’s distilleries last year than visited the Houses of Parliament. In fact, with a collective 1.5 million visits, the country’s distilleries were as popular as major attractions such as London Zoo, Stonehenge, Tate Britain and Kew Gardens.
Up until a few years ago, I had the distinct impression that some distilleries took their visitors for granted, fobbing them off with a whistlestop tour and a quick dram. These days, however, there is a far greater appreciation of these devout and loyal fans. Many distilleries now offer a variety of tours to cater to different visitors’ knowledge of whisky. As well as a basic introduction for the tourist coaches, there will be the chance to visit for a whole day and have a hands-on and totally immersive experience.
Clearly, a lot of investment has been made in the visitor centres. It’s now rare to find any which simply play an old VHS tape in a cold, dark room. You’re more likely to get a fully interactive session, possibly with add-ons such as cask sampling in the warehouse, or bottling or even blending your own whisky.
This is exactly how things should be. After all, nearly £50 million was spent last year on distillery tours and in visitor-centre shops and cafés, up from £27 million in 2010. A few years ago, I felt let down by visits to some distilleries – and I could only imagine how much more disappointing it was for those who had made the pilgrimage from further away. Satisfied visitors, in contrast, will rave about their experience to friends back home, sending even more whisky enthusiasts our way. This can only be a good thing for the industry and for the country.
Despite the excellent news from the Scotch Whisky Association, I still feel that more can be done to make things better for whisky tourists. Foremost would be finding ways to improve transport links to the key whisky-producing hubs. In Mexico, for example, a specific tourist train, the Tequila Express, runs from Guadalajara through blue agave fields to the spirit-producing region, with tours of the Herradura distillery and tastings and lunch at the hacienda. Why not operate something similar from the central belt to Speyside, for example?
Another issue to address – one that has the potential to generate a lot more revenue – is the lack of high-end, luxury accommodation at or close to the whisky hubs. Distilleries often attract seriously high-net-worth individuals who will happily spend tens of thousands of pounds while they’re there. But at the end of a day of touring distilleries, when popular top-end hotels such as Nairn’s Boath House, The Craigellacchie Hotel or Knockomie in Forres are full, as they often are, these highrollers may have to travel to Aberdeen to find a five-star hotel. Why not, as some distilleries are doing, construct luxury private accommodation on site for special guests and VIPs?
I am often surprised by the number of Scots who tell me they’ve never been to a distillery. If that sounds like you, it’s worth making a point of doing so during this, Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink.
‘ Distilleries often attract seriously high-networth individuals who will happily spend thousands of pounds while they’re there’