£140m Highland whisky centre scoops prestigious architectural prize

A £140 million distillery and visitor experience in the Scottish Highlands has won a prestigious arhcitecture award.

The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience in Aberlour, Moray, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, beat six other shortlisted buildings to take the coveted Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland's (RIAS) Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland prize.

The award was presented at a ceremony at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh – itself a previous Doolan prize-winner – by Aileen Campbell, the Local Government Secretary, alongside Mrs Margaret Doolan.

The Macallan Distillery in Moray was also named in a list of the world's greatest places by Time Magazine. Picture: VisitScotland/PA

The award is supported by the late Andrew Doolan’s mother and family and by the Scottish Government.

Ms Campbell said: “The RIAS Andrew Doolan Award underlines the importance that Scotland places on good design, and this year’s winning project, the Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience, is an outstanding addition to our built environment.

“We will continue to support the architecture and design sector so Scotland’s buildings and places enrich our lives, lessen our environmental impact and contribute to our cultural and national identity.”

The judges – Professor Sadie Morgan, from Stirling Prize- winning practice dRMM; Henry McKeown, director of the award-winning Scottish practice jm architect; and Professor Mona Siddiqui, from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Divinity – said: “The attention to detail and the consistency and control of aesthetic decisions in this building is incredibly impressive.”