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Diageo
distilleries reached a record high
of 440,260 visitors in 2017.
Scotch whisky tourism is in good
spirits at the turn of 2018, as the latest
figures reveal a record year of visitors
to Diageo distilleries across Scotland,
according to new figures released this
week.
In 2017, the number of tourists visiting
Diageo’s 12 distillery visitor centres
across Scotland reached a record high of
440,260 – an increase of 15.2% on the
previous year and the highest figure
reported to date as whisky distilleries
become a spirited addition to many a
bucket list.
To celebrate the second International
Scotch Day (8 February), the distillery
visitor centres will open their doors
for free on 8th, 10th and 11th February
to welcome visitors from home and abroad
to experience standard tours of the
sites and explore behind the scenes of
some of the world’s favourite whiskies.
With visitors flocking to Scottish
whisky sites from across the globe, this
record year for Diageo demonstrates the
growing contribution that Scotch – the
world’s favourite whisky – is making to
the tourism economy in Scotland.
Diageo’s Scotland based Head of
International Supply, Ewan Andrew, said:
"As the country’s lead export, Scotch
whisky is one of the biggest magnets for
tourism and we’re continuing to grow
visitor numbers from around the world.
"We’re also continually working to
ensure those visitors have the best
experience at our distilleries. They
always enjoy meeting the makers, then
tasting and learning more about our
outstanding Single Malts and Blended
Scotch Whiskies. We look forward to
welcoming even more visitors to our
distilleries throughout the year, and
especially so for International Scotch
Day."
Over the last five years, the
attractions have recorded a remarkable
96.3% growth in visitor numbers across
the country, fuelled by international
visitors to Scotland and the increasing
rise of staycations.
Blair Athol Distillery in Pitlochry, the
iconic ‘home’ of the Bells’ Scotch
whisky brand, was Diageo’s busiest
distillery visitor centre drawing in
86,019 people over the 12 month period.
This rise in visitors, up 23% from the
previous year, is in part due to the
launch of the site’s innovative mash tun
whisky tasting bar which was officially
opened by Malcolm Roughead, Chief
Executive of VisitScotland, in July.
With commentary on the latest figures,
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of
VisitScotland, said: “It’s fantastic
news that the Diageo distilleries have
welcomed a record number of visitors in
2017. This is an amazing achievement and
a testament to the hard work of staff to
give visitors the best experience
possible.
"Whisky is one of Scotland’s most
valuable commodities with people from
all over the world coming to our shores
to experience an authentic Scottish
dram. A culinary icon, it remains as
important as ever to the tourism
industry with one in five visitors
making a trip to a whisky distillery
during their stay and even more visiting
a bar, pub or restaurant to sample our
renowned national drink.
"Whisky tourism is a vital part of local
tourism for many areas in Scotland,
attracting visitors, creating jobs and
sustaining communities.”
Other success stories include Clynelish
Distillery, situated in Brora,
experiencing the biggest year-on-year
increase in figures to 8,544, a rise of
over 127% from 3,771 the previous year,
while Lagavulin Distillery’s Visitor
Centre welcomed 27,040 people through
its doors in 2017 as it capped its 200th
year with a 50% rise in visitors.
Diageo operates 28 malt whisky
distilleries, of which, unfortunately
only 12 pof them have
dedicated visitor centre, but all are
worth a visit, making it the
leading provider of whisky tourism
facilities in Scotland, and accounting
for 1/3 of the Scotch industry in
Scotland. These include the homes of
some of Diageo’s most iconic Scotch
whisky brands such as Johnnie Walker
Blended Scotch and Glenkinchie,
Talisker, Oban, Dalwhinnie and Cardhu
Single Malts.
You will find the current whisky ranges
produced by all of Diageo's distilleries available from
specialist online whisky shops such as
The Whisky Exchange and
Master of Malt
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