Ignite your passion for Scotland’s national drink in the heart of Edinburgh at The Scotch Whisky Experience
The Scotch Whisky Experience at the top of the Royal Mile in the Old Town of Edinburgh has launched its latest tour, designed to be a welcoming introduction to the appreciation of Scotland’s national drink.
The hour-long dive into the history, science and folklore of whisky is a unique immersive experience which will play on the senses of locals and tourists alike, long before they reach the tasting session at the end.
Using stunning visual effects, interactive art installations and holograms, as well as a live guide with recorded music and commentary, the tour is a world away from the dry dispensing of a nip of knowledge.
People will get an idea that things might be a wee bit different in the tour’s first “scene”. In an immersive Highland landscape, water seems to tumble around visitors over ancient rocks, and it even ripples around people’s feet. After all, Scotch whisky gains a lot of its character from Scottish water.
Then the next step in telling the tale involves a kinetic sculpture, which mimics the action of barley turned over during the malting; the motion of yeast, creating a violent chemical reaction; and the gentle evaporation of the distilling spirit as it rises through the swan neck of the pot still.
Visitors find themselves inside a giant wooden cask, which fills up with the new spirit before the maturation process gradually makes it whisky.There is plenty of interesting information for people seeking facts. For instance, American oak bourbon casks are used for a smooth finish, whereas Spanish sherry casks add a little spice.
Julie Trevisan-Hunter, the Scotch Whisky Experience’s marketing director, explains that the idea behind this immersive tour “is to show in artistic form what is ultimately a very scientific process, and also represent what is going on inside the various pieces of apparatus which you just wouldn’t see if you were going round a distillery”.
As tour guests travel from being inside of the process, they have the opportunity to take in the scenery from the five distinct Scotch whisky regions around Scotland. In a wraparound cinema room, a short film takes in a whistle-stop tour of the Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Islay and Campbeltown whisky regions in fantastic footage which can easily swell hearts.
At the same time, visitors experience the different scents and flavours that these regions are most noted for.
Towards the end of the tour, the vaults open on a jaw-dropping collection of Scotch whisky, in a room beautifully bathed in an amber glow.
It presents almost 4,000 bottles in illuminated glass cases, and the collection, curated by compiled by Brazilian aficionado Claive Vidiz, includes some of the rarest and most expensive drams – and also some real curiosities.
Among the novelty bottles is a chess set of whisky-filled pieces, each representing a king or queen of Scotland and England.
The collection was bought by global drinks giant Diageo and has been at The Scotch Whisky Experience since May 2009.
Julie explains that most of the visitors to the Royal Mile attraction are international, but that locals often accompany their guests.
She says: “We are, of course, in a prime spot for tourists, right next to the castle, and that tends, for visitors to Edinburgh, to be the first thing that they want to see.
“It is so lovely to bring guests – a stroll up the cobbles past the historic closes and, even if you aren’t visiting the castle, the Esplanade offers such a beautiful view of the city right across to Fife and the Pentlands.
“There is also the advantage that the tour is seated and inside, so if you are tired from walking round the city and the castle it’s a relaxing way to get out of the weather.”The new tour was designed by famed attraction architects Hatto + Partners which engaged a team of creatives and artists to oversee all the different elements, and hold the vision together.
There was a lot of input from experts at the Scotch Whisky Experience, as Julie says: “We know from many years of experience what delights visitors and resonates with them, and how best to tell the story.
“There are a lot of facts and figures in the making of whisky, but we want to tell the story in a different way because the aim is to ignite a curiosity in the wider industry, no matter what the level of knowledge in each visitor.”
For some, an hour spent on the new tour will be a delightful experience which will give them a good grounding in the intricacies of the national drink, together with a flavour of the unique places where it is made.
For others, it may just be the perfect starting point for a lifetime of discovery.
Prices for the tour start at £23 for an adult ticket with whisky tasting, or £37 for a tour plus extended tasting. There are also options to add food to the experience in the attraction’s acclaimed Amber restaurant and whisky bar. See www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk