Hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, Scotch whisky tourism gets a boost with the opening of a new major attraction – the Johnnie Walker Princes Street visitor's centre. – Photos: Johnnie Walker
Never mind amusement parks and museums – if you are visiting Scotland and happen to be a Scotch whisky lover, then Edinburgh's latest tourist attention will be right up your lane.
Johnnie Walker Princes Street, an eight-floor new visitor experience for Scotch whisky lovers, officially opened is doors in the heart of Scotland’s capital city on September 6.
Global media were recently given a virtual tour of the building, which was formerly a traditional department store for almost 100 years.
Attractions include a Journey of Flavour, which identifies unique flavours and tastes tailored to each visitor's palate, and where they learn about the 200-year-old history of the Johnnie Walker brand, brought to life by actors.
There is also a state-of-the-art experiential retail space and a cellar containing some of the most unique whisky casks in the world, as well as two world-class rooftop bars – the Explorers’ Bothy whisky bar, which is stocked with 150 different whiskies, and the 1820 cocktail bar where drinks are paired with a carefully curated menu sourced from, and representing in culinary form, the four corners of Scotland.
Tickets for tours start from £25 (RM145) per person, and includes a 90-minute tour and three personalised Scotch whisky drinks. All samples are provided with carefully controlled measures and non-alcoholic alternatives are also available to all guests.
The attraction is housed in a building that was formerly a traditional department store for almost 100 years.
A project four and a half years in the making, Johnnie Walker Princes Street is the centrepiece of Diageo’s £185mil (RM1.06bil) investment in Scotch whisky tourism in Scotland – the largest single investment programme of its kind ever seen in Scotch whisky tourism.
It is part of the company's push to rebuild Scotch whisky tourism for the future – the Scotch whisky industry saw a record 2.16 million Scotch whisky tourists visiting in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic saw it come to a standstill.
The company also recently transformed the visitor experiences in four other of its distilleries around Scotland, including Glenkinchie, Clynelish, Cardhu and Caol Ila, representing the Lowland, Highland, Speyside and Islay whisky regions.
In line with the Scotch industry's ongoing push towards sustainability, Johnnie Walker Princes Street also boasts an Green Tourism Gold Award – the highest sustainability accolade for a visitor attraction. The building includes roof terrace planters which will provide herbs for garnishes and infusions for drinks, a sedum roof covering and bird boxes to encourage biodiversity.
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