The Whisky Coast
Friday, April 13 2007
Take sixteen best-known whisky brands on Scotlands west coast including Islay and Jura, three tour companies, 18 hotels, some restaurants, golf courses and visitor attractions, form a united company together and you get one of Scotland's premier tourist destinations: The Whisky Coast! The Whisky Coast is formed with the aid of Highlands and Islands Enterprises and VisitScotland according to an article in the Scotsman. Some of the Islay distilleries involved are Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Bruichladdich who also bring forward managing director Mark Reynier as chairman of The Whisky Coast. The Isle of Jura Distillery will also participate in The Whisky Coast venture.
Quote from the Scotsman:
The aim from The Whisky Coast is to raise the profile of the west coast and its high concentration of leading distilleries in an effort to attract more high-spending visitors to the area and to encourage them to stay longer. The Whisky Coast stretches from Springbank Distillery in Campbeltown, Scotland's oldest family-owned distillery in the south, to the Talisker Distillery on Skye in the north. The tourist attractions involved include the Westin Turnberry Resort, the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, and Machrihanish Golf Club.
Speaking at the launch of the initiative at the Laphroaig Distillery on Islay, Chris Conway from ScotlandWhisky, one of the founding directors of the company, said the plan was to capitalise on the crucial role that whisky already plays in Scottish tourism. He said: "Over one million tourists visit a distillery every year according to the Scotch Whisky Association and distillery visitor centres generate £17.3 million in economic benefit from ticket and gift sales. Whisky is a fantastic icon for Scotland and internationally recognised. Being able to tap into its global reach is an amazingly powerful marketing tool for the west coast of Scotland. Its single malts are known throughout the world, and now its tourism experience should be celebrated in the same way."
Mark Reynier said the venture was an excellent example of the private and public sector working together for the benefit of the whole area. "The Whisky Coast is a project designed to benefit the whole economy," he said. "It's about much more than trying to encourage people to visit one or more distilleries. We're encouraging them to explore further and see more of this dramatic, wild, indented coast, to stay longer and spend more. Whisky may be the most tangible element of the initiative, but it's the misty harbours and moonlit mountains which add the drama and live on in memories."
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