Plans to transform the visitor experience at Caol Ila Distillery on Islay have been submitted to Argyll & Bute Council.
If the plans get the green light, the new state-of-the-art visitor experience will be created inside the Caol Ila warehouse, including a bar with views across the Sound of Islay. The entrance will be via a footbridge into the roof of the warehouse, linking to new parking facilities, discreetly located on the hill above the distillery.
In April Diageo announced a £150 million investment programme to transform distillery visitor experiences across Scotland. The investment will see the creation of a global Johnnie Walker brand experience in Edinburgh.
Whisky from Diageo’s distilleries all over Scotland contribute to Johnnie Walker, but four distilleries – Caol Ila, Glenkinchie, Cardhu and Clynelish – will be linked directly to a new Johnnie Walker global visitor experience in Edinburgh. Along with the Edinburgh global attraction, the Four Corner distilleries will create a unique Johnnie Walker tour of Scotland.
The company is also investing a further £35 million to bring back the lost distilleries of Port Ellen, on Islay, and Brora, in the highlands.