An Aberdeenshire whisky shop and tasting room has been praised as one of the best in the region less than two years after it first opened.
Still Spirit, located on the outskirts of Pitmedden, has become one of only three venues in the north-east to receive VisitScotland’s 5 Star Tourist Shop award.
The shop, which is part of the world’s leading online whisky auction houses Whisky Hammer, opened in 2021 and has since proved popular with locals and tourists.
Over the last 12 months, Still Spirit has been offering both private and public tasting events, which have been favoured by brand ambassadors and whisky experts.
The shop sells a wide variety of whiskies from across Scotland, as well as other fine spirits – including gin, rum, vodka and tequila.
Meanwhile, a fully-stocked takeaway dram bar offers some old and rare drams.
‘Quality destination for whisky enthusiasts’
A new warehouse with a capacity of 2,000 casks of whisky is also expected to open by the end of the year to give visitors the full experience.
Daniel Milne, managing director at Still Spirit, said: “To be awarded such a high ranking in a short space of time is a fantastic achievement. We’ve built a wonderful and knowledgeable team at Still Spirit whose passion to create a quality destination for whisky enthusiasts sees visitors travel from far and wide.
“As a fairly young business, we’re always looking for ways to improve our offering and give customers the best possible experience in store and at our dram bar. The 5 Star rating from VisitScotland is a welcome acknowledgement that we’re moving in the right direction as a business and helping to strengthen tourism in the local area in the process.”
David Jackson, VisitScotland regional director, congratulated the shop on their achievement and said: “I hope the success of Still Spirit sets an example to other businesses to join the scheme, which benefits tourism businesses and visitors alike.
“It is vital that everyone involved in tourism works together to offer visitors a fantastic experience when visiting and staying in Aberdeenshire, to strengthen our tourism offering.”
Conversation