About Scotch Whisky Experience
The Scotch Whisky Experience is a whisky visitor attraction located on Castlehill in the Old Town of Edinburgh, immediately adjacent to the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. The centre offers tours and whisky tutoring sessions, alongside a shop, corporate spaces and Amber Restaurant & Whisky Bar. HistoryThe Scotch Whisky Experience is located in the former premises of the Castlehill School, which opened in 1888. Although the school was mixed, boys and girls were kept apart by separate sets of stairways – a design feature which the building still maintains. Due to falling school numbers, the school closed in 1951, fulfilling various roles afterwards, including a catering school, an urban studies centre and a general store. CreationIn July 1987, 19 individual Scotch Whisky companies jointly invested £2m to create The Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre – a permanent attraction based on the history and development of Scotch Whisky. The new attraction opened its doors on 5 May 1988, changing its name to The Scotch Whisky Experience in 2006. Recent DevelopmentsIn 2008, the attraction became home to the World’s Largest Collection of Scotch Whisky, featuring 3, 384 bottles. The collection had been built up over 35 years by Brazilian whisky enthusiast Claive Vidiz, who believed it only right that the collection return to its home country. The collection is housed in a specially designed glass and marble vault and was opened by then Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, in May 2009. The attraction’s shop underwent a £1m refurbishment in 2012, to incorporate a host of new features, including an interactive tasting map and touch-screen distillery guide. During the same year, the International Spirits Challenge was held at the venue for the first time and it became home to the world’s largest bottle of single malt whisky.
Scotch Whisky Experience Description
The Scotch Whisky Experience is a whisky visitor attraction located on Castlehill in the Old Town of Edinburgh, immediately adjacent to the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. The centre offers tours and whisky tutoring sessions, alongside a shop, corporate spaces and Amber Restaurant & Whisky Bar. HistoryThe Scotch Whisky Experience is located in the former premises of the Castlehill School, which opened in 1888. Although the school was mixed, boys and girls were kept apart by separate sets of stairways – a design feature which the building still maintains. Due to falling school numbers, the school closed in 1951, fulfilling various roles afterwards, including a catering school, an urban studies centre and a general store. CreationIn July 1987, 19 individual Scotch Whisky companies jointly invested £2m to create The Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre – a permanent attraction based on the history and development of Scotch Whisky. The new attraction opened its doors on 5 May 1988, changing its name to The Scotch Whisky Experience in 2006. Recent DevelopmentsIn 2008, the attraction became home to the World’s Largest Collection of Scotch Whisky, featuring 3, 384 bottles. The collection had been built up over 35 years by Brazilian whisky enthusiast Claive Vidiz, who believed it only right that the collection return to its home country. The collection is housed in a specially designed glass and marble vault and was opened by then Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, in May 2009. The attraction’s shop underwent a £1m refurbishment in 2012, to incorporate a host of new features, including an interactive tasting map and touch-screen distillery guide. During the same year, the International Spirits Challenge was held at the venue for the first time and it became home to the world’s largest bottle of single malt whisky.