The Glenlivet reopens doors to visitors after multi-million revamp
A SPEYSIDE distillery today welcomed back whisky lovers after a multi-million pound redesign of its showcase home.
Inspired by the legendary hospitality of its founder, George Smith, as well as its remote glen location, the visitor centre at the home of The Glenlivet boasts a new look after undergoing 18 months of extensive renovations.
The revamp includes an indoor field of barley, harvested and preserved at one of the local farms that supplies the distillery, a chandelier made from local dried flowers, a mosaic floor designed by Scottish ceramics artist Helen Miles that pays tribute to Scottish history, and completely transformed interiors using the predominant natural colours of the Glenlivet Estate.
Top craftsmen were hired to design some of the finer elements of the visitor centre, including the plasterwork above the lounge fireplace which is inspired by Scottish foliage and nature, by Locker & Riley.
Visitors can take home a unique bottle through an exclusive label personalisation and engraving service at its transformed retail space.
On display in the new Smugglers' Hideout room are 83 hand-crafted clay pots, created by Whichford Pottery, to replicate those historically used to smuggle The Glenlivet through the remote hillsides many years ago.
A new archive wall features some of the distillery’s rarest bottles.
Using innovative technology, the new visitor experiences on offer aim to take guests on an immersive journey through The Glenlivet’s rich history, which brings to life the battle between illicit distillers and excisemen.
Miriam Eceolaza, director of The Glenlivet, said: "The Glenlivet is a symbol of Speyside, and after 18 months of renovations, we can’t wait to open the doors to our local communities and bring whisky lovers into our new visitor experience, as we continue to push boundaries and break tradition within single malt whisky.
"It’s a true immersion into the iconic Speyside region, walking guests through our stunning indoor field of local barley, tasting from our old and rare archives, experimenting with our famous cocktail capsules and taking a unique piece of Speyside home with our straight-from-the-cask personalised bottling.
"We strive to give visitors the best possible experience and look forward to welcoming back our loyal fans, as well as new faces keen to taste the original Speyside single malt."
To celebrate the reopening, the first 100 bottles of each exclusive hand-filled edition have been signed by master distiller Alan Winchester.
