Elgin city centre has received a welcome boost with the opening of a whisky shop.
The Gordon & MacPhail shop is now open on the High Street at the entrance to the St Giles Centre.
It will temporarily replace the firm’s original home in South Street, currently undergoing a transformation into a larger-scale visitor experience.
The South Street base will reopen next year.
And the High Street retail space is open for custom before the  Speyside Whisky Festival begins next week.
The company sees this as a statement of confidence in Elgin city centre.
A substantial investment in both High Street and South Street
Stephen Rankin, director of Prestige at Gordon & MacPhail said: “We’re making a substantial investment in both the High Street pop-up shop and the transformation of our South Street home.
“We would urge people to come along and see the pop-up shop for themselves and discover the incredible selection of quality products and tasting events we plan to host in what is a very flexible space. We believe our talks and tastings will become a real draw for local people as well as visitors.
“The team have pulled out all the stops to get the shop up and running before the start of the Speyside Whisky Festival and we’re all delighted with the result.”
The new shop offers its own brands and will continue to sell the same wide range of whiskies, wines and spirits which were available at South Street.
It is also available for special events such as talks and tastings in the evenings.
Almost all the work on the refit has been undertaken by local contractors.
The same approach has been taken over in South Street where the multi million-pound makeover is well underway.
This is the very first time the building has been completely empty since it opened in 1895.
South Street will be a must-visit destination for whisky lovers
A complete refit of the ground and first floors will transform the space into a must-visit destination for lovers of whisky.
The new attraction will incorporate displays, tasting rooms and a liquid library of some of the world’s rarest whiskies.
Visitors will hear about the important role of grocers in the evolution of the Scotch whisky industry. And learn more of Gordon & MacPhail’s journey from a humble provisions merchant, to internationally renowned whisky experts and distillers.
Gordon & MacPhail’s main office and warehousing is in Boroughbriggs Road in Elgin.
They also own Benromach Distillery, Red Door Gin Still and Experience and warehouses in Forres and The Cairn Distillery near Grantown on Spey.
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