Glenkinchie Distillery has reopened after going through a “major transformation.” The Lowland distillery’s expansion is part of parent company Diageo’s £185 million ($241m USD) investment in Scotch Whisky tourism. The investment also includes a new Johnnie Walker experience in Edinburgh, as well as the restoration of the shuttered Port Ellen and Brora distilleries.
Glenkinchie is one of four distilleries–along with Cardhu, Caol Ila and Clynelish–set to represent the “four corners of Scotland” as part of the Johnnie Walker experience when it opens next summer. Plans to significantly expand the Glenkinchie Distillery visitor center were announced in October 2018.
As part of the expansion, Glenkinchie’s red brick warehouse buildings were turned into a multi-level visitor experience, which is surrounded by a new landscape garden featuring native orchids and plants. New tasting rooms and a bar area, meanwhile, are set to serve whisky Highballs, tasting platters, and dram flights.
A number of specialized tours, tastings, and masterclasses will be on offer, including the Glenkinchie Flavour Journey, Whisky in the Wild Tour, Warehouse and Cask Tour, Flowers and Cocktails Class, and a Behind the Scenes Tour and Tasting.
“The opening of the wonderful new visitor experience and garden at Glenkinchie is the first step in our long-term £185 million investment in whisky tourism in Scotland,” Barbara Smith, managing director of brand homes for Diageo in Scotland. “We are acutely aware of the difficult times many people are going through, particularly our colleagues in the tourism and hospitality sector across Scotland.
“We know there’s a long way to go and a lot of uncertainty ahead. Still, we believe in the resilience of our business and our communities, and we will be doing all we can through our investment to sow the seeds of recovery and future growth.”
The facility has been designed to operate sustainably by protecting wildlife in the local area, including the installation of beehives, bat houses, bug boxes, and plantings to attract feeding wildlife.
Glenkinchie will officially reopen to visitors on Thursday October 29, 2020, subject to the government’s guidance on Covid-19.
Photo via Visit Scotland