The GlenAllachie Distillery Visitor Centre has unveiled a £600,000 upgrade as it gears up for the high season.
Visitors can now enjoy a brand-new, state-of-the-art whisky bar, tasting lounge and outdoor seating.
Independently owned by legendary Scotch whisky maker Billy Walker, the distillery is located near Aberlour in the world-renowned Speyside region.
The site opened to the public in April 2019 with a retail shop, small tasting room and limited tour programme.
It has since expanded and now boasts a full production area as well as 16 on-site warehouses.
And as part of the six-figure upgrades, a former engineering workshop has been transformed into a whisky bar.
It will offer a range of The GlenAllachie Distillers Company’s whiskies and rums in single measures or as a flight.
Busy summer season ahead at GlenAllachie Visitor Centre
Visitor centre manager Tracy Sellar said: “We’re thrilled to unveil our expanded visitor centre at The GlenAllachie Distillery after months of planning and preparation.
“As a team, we identified a gap in our offering: the option to enjoy a dram or flight without the need to join a tour.
“The new whisky bar, between the indoor and outdoor space, allows for an impressive capacity of 100 people at any one time.
“As we continue to expand as a visitor attraction, we look forward to a busy summer season with more experiences to offer our guests.”
As part of the distillery’s sustainability efforts, the new space will be heated using excess heat energy from the stillhouse, the room where distilling takes place.
Electric vehicle charging points have also been installed for visitor use.
Along with the expansion, the visitor centre team has doubled over the last 12 months.
The increase in headcount is to cater for accelerating demand and footfall since recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The distillery plans to further expand its visitor experience offering once the whisky bar is fully up and running.