Whisky Galore..right down to the floor

Scotch Whisky and Scotch Whisky tourism have featured in several “good news” pieces over the last few weeks –it appears that whisky tourism is continuing to boost the Scottish economy and reach new overseas markets, which is  good news indeed.

It’s also interesting to see just what’s new in terms of whisky tours and whisky initiatives for consumers and new target markets; and to get an insight into the continual innovation on the part of those whisky ambassadors in the industry who play a key role in attracting visitors to Scotland and in presenting Scotch whisky to a variety of markets in new ways.

At a recent trade event at the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh we enjoyed an entertaining and impromptu lesson on whisky and food pairings and we can confirm that the recommendation of pairing a Highland malt (Dalmore) with a high quality dark chocolate is indeed a winner! This combination even managed to convince our reluctant Canadian friend that she might just be a whisky fan after all.

The Scotch Whisky and Tourism report, recently commissioned by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) underlines the important role which Scotch Whisky plays in attracting overseas tourism to Scotland and how it continues to be a significant feature of Scottish culture and identity. The SWA report reveals that visitor centres and distilleries add £30.4 million to the Scottish economy and provided 640 jobs, direct and indirect. Scotch Whisky’s impact is clearly global, with nine out of ten (86.1%) distillery visitors coming from outside Scotland, with nearly two thirds (62.3%) from outside the UK.

China represents one of the fastest growing tourist markets for Scotland, with whisky being the most commonly cited Scottish produce amongst Chinese tourist visitors. According to the report, The Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh has also experienced a rise in the number of visitors from growing export markets such as China and Russia whilst Diageo distilleries welcomed visitors of 43 different nationalities to Scotland last year: Germany, France, US and Spain being in the top five along with the UK. The report is available for download from the SWA site.

Scheduled and bespoke whisky tours are an increasingly important offering for tourists in Scotland as well as whisky festivals such as the Spirit of Speyside festival. A welcome and recent addition to whisky tourism are Glasgow Whisky Tours, which are offering a weekly tour of some of Glasgow’s best whisky bars and tutored tastings. We haven’t tried the tours yet ourselves but GWT visitors can also expect “stories, singing, ceilidh music, entertainment including our world-famous GWT Quiz with whisky-related prizes”. The company also have plans for Edinburgh Whisky tours in 2011.

Finally, perhaps one of the most interesting Scotch whisky-related finds this week was the recycling of whisky barrels to make what looks like beautiful, unique and innovative whisky barrel flooring. McKay Flooring in Glasgow has come up with a method of making floorboards from old oak whisky barrels. The Whisky Barrel Cobbles and Whisky Barrel flooring ranges have generated interest from the US, Russia, Japan and Denmark and no wonder – not only does the flooring look great, incorporating original print and features from the barrels into the boards, but apparently the new floor owners can also enjoy the pleasant aromas of oak and vanilla.

Not only a great way to recycle but a unique way to extend the Scotch whisky journey…definitely worth raising a glass to. Slainte.