The announcement comes ahead of an anticipated surge in visitor numbers for this year’s Commonwealth Games and golf Ryder Cup.
Scotland’s oldest working distillery was established in 1775, and is the home of the country’s best-selling Scottish blended whisky (No. 4 standard blended whisky worldwide).
The refurbishment programme, which is the first major upgrade to the facilities since 2007, has seen the visitor café, shop and tasting experiences transformed, as well as the welcome lounge that receives 120,000 visitors every year.
The distillery has opened up a new tasting bar, alongside which there are a series of nosing pods to allow visitors to get much closer to the whisky blending process and identify aromas and ingredients that make the spirit so distinctive.
This year Scotland hosts the Commonwealth Games in July, and the Ryder Cup in September. The facilities for corporate entertainment and private events have also been enhanced with a new facilities for whisky tasting experiences, including The Famous Grouse Suite, extending the distillery’s abilities to accommodate valuable corporate and group business.
Another new feature, is the ‘Personalisation Bar’ in the new gift shop, which allows customers to not only bottle their own whisky, but to personalise their bottle of The Famous Grouse on site.
Business development manager Lesley Williamson said: “This will be an extremely busy year for tourism businesses in the Perthshire area. The eyes of the world will be upon us and it’s imperative that we continue to deliver our visitors a quality experience.
“Glenturret Distillery has a place in Scotland’s history as the oldest working distillery, and The Famous Grouse Experience is a popular visitor attraction for tourists from around the globe.
“The investment demonstrates our commitment to the future of the Distillery in Crieff and in our offering to the corporate and private events market, as well as an important tourism destination, both of which are incredibly important to our business.”
