Tourism in Perthshire has been dealt a severe blow after drinks giant Edrington revealed plans to close the hugely popular Famous Grouse Experience.
The visitor attraction – which welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each year – is based at Crieff’s Glenturret Distillery, which has been put up for sale by the spirits producer.
Edrington is, however, holding on to The Famous Grouse brand as part of its premium whisky portfolio – a decision that means the visitor centre at Glenturret will close in its current form.
Around 30 staff at Glenturret are impacted by the sale, although Edrington is hoping to protect jobs by finding a buyer that will continue to operate the site as a working distillery and visitor experience showcasing the Glenturret malt.
The move comes two years after Edrington announced plans to switch its Perth-based management office to a new consolidated headquarters building in Glasgow.
The sale severs Edrington’s last physical tie to the region, although the company may well continue to be a customer of Glenturret in future as the malt is a key constituent of The Famouse Grouse blend.
Roseanna Cunningham MSP for the Perthshire South and Kinross-shire said: “While I welcome the assurance given by Edrington that the sale of the Glenturret brand is not expected to involve any redundancies, I cannot see how they can make that pledge on behalf of any future owner and this must be very disconcerting news for the 31 people employed at the Distillery.
“I have no doubt whatsoever that, as the oldest single malt whisky distillery in Scotland, the Glenturret brand will be an attractive prospect for any potential buyer but I am anxious to get more detail and clarity from Edrington about this sale.”
