Next month, Diageo will open the doors to its flagship Johnnie Walker Princes Street visitor center in Edinburgh. The site was supposed to open last year, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Over the past year we have faced unprecedented challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic but now we can finally start the countdown to the opening of Johnnie Walker Princes Street,” said Barbara Smith, managing director of Diageo’s Scotland brand homes.
Covering 71,500 square feet across eight floors, the new visitor center looks to lead guests on an immersive experience through the history of the 200-year-old blended Scotch brand and the wider Scotch whisky category. It features a variety of several drinking and dining options, including a rooftop bar and restaurant with views of Edinburgh Castle, as well as an experiential whisky department store retailing exclusive Johnnie Walker expressions and merchandise.
“We have built an incredibly talented and diverse team who will bring the Johnnie Walker story to life, creating a world-class experience for our guests,” Smith added. “Johnnie Walker Princes Street will offer something unlike any other visitor experience in Scotland. It will be a venue for everyone, whether that’s visitors to Scotland or local people in Edinburgh, Scotch whisky lovers or those savouring Scotch whisky for the first time. We can’t wait for you to join us.”
The Johnnie Walker Princes Street whisky experience will be unveiled to the public on September 6.
Tickets for Johnnie Walker Princes Street tours start at £25 ($35 USD) and can be purchased via Johnnie Walker’s official website. Guests can visit the bars and department store without a ticket.
Diageo announced its plans to build the Princes Street visitor center in April 2018 as part of a £150 million ($209m USD) investment in Scotch whisky tourism, which later grew to £185m ($257m USD). The funding was also used to build new visitor centres at Speyside distillery Cardhu, Lowland distillery Glenkinchie, and Highland distillery Clynelish.
Earlier this year, Diageo reopened Brora distillery after extensive restorations.