It sounds like a James Bond plotline. One man builds up a leading position in the Scotch whisky market. From humble beginnings in a Kilmarnock grocer’s shop, his eponymous empire grows over time to straddle the globe. Cut to today. Behind a discreet grey facade in the heart of Edinburgh, his name is mentioned again and again as groups of people examine a collection of precious elixirs.
The Johnnie Walker Experience in the city’s Princes Street would make an ideal Bond villain’s lair. Built over eight floors in the old House of Fraser department store, its slick presentation and futuristic styling are a long way from the traditional image of Scotch. It makes a good starting point for a week travelling around all five of Scotland’s whisky regions, learning more about whisky and enjoying it where it is made.
The Experience offers a range of guided tours, with the basic
