Spirit of Scotland

We spoke to three hotels who are experts at combining the whisky industry with luxury hospitality. They’re here to help you get a foot in the door.

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The wild lands of Scotland are full of mystery, beauty… and a lot of whisky.

IN Scotland alone, there are over 120 active whisky distilleries across five whisky producing regions: Campbeltown, the Highlands, Islay, the Lowlands and Speyside.

With so many distilleries in one place, there are a lot of potential customers who want to experience the spirit of Scotland.

But how do you get involved? How do you pull these whisky lovers through the doors of your guesthouse, inn or b&b?

Whether you’re new to the whisky industry or you already know quite a bit, we spoke to three experts to get the lay of the land and find out what you can do.

Dornoch Castle Hotel

TOURISM

The whisky industry is a major contributor for Scotland’s tourism industry. Everyone will host a variety of guests, but you’re guaranteed to host people from all over the world if you begin hosting whisky enthusiasts. Owner and managing director of Dornoch Castle Hotel, Colin Thompson, said: “The beauty of whisky tourism is, it’s unlike any other kind of tourism.

“Whisky tourism could bring in whisky clubs from Sweden, Germany, Norway, France, Italy, Japan, Taiwan… anywhere really.

“But at the moment we’re dealing with almost purely British tourists in the aftermath of COVID-19.”

In contrast to Dornoch’s typically international guest list, Kevin Smith, Director of the Craigellachie Hotel, said: “I would have always said that the majority of our guests are overseas travellers, but that’s actually not the case.

“57% of our guests actually come from the UK and then the next biggest demographic, or geographic, is guests from the US.”

Station Hotel’s in-house whisky expert, Stephen Crossland, said: “Generally, we get a lot of people from the UK. We do get a lot of international guests but depending on the time of year, depends on what country it is, because different countries have different holiday periods.

“One week we’ll have a lot of Indian people, the next week we’ll have a lot of Chinese people.”

Craigellachie Copper Dog Bar

Dornoch Castle Hotel’s Colin said: “Interestingly, whisky tourists are prepared to come when others are not. It would be normal to have whisky groups right from early February right through to the end of November.

“You never know who you’re speaking to. You get some guys [who are] experts and know their stuff. But in the summer, you get a lot of golfers and they know nothing or very little.”

If you get involved with the whisky industry, you’ve got to be prepared to receive a variety of guests from all over the globe.

Stephen from Station Hotel said: “I did a lot of travelling around the world in my previous days, and it’s nice when you have guests from places you’ve visited.”

Through international travel and business relationships, Dornoch Castle Hotel receives guests from all over the world and Colin says he’s noticed some patterns.

“In terms of bar owners and enthusiasts, they tend to be in the 30-50 age bracket, and they’ve got a few quid and can afford to come to the UK.

“But from our experience, the Taiwanese and Chinese demographic is slightly different. It’s much younger, maybe 20-35, very well off and probably have their own business. They’ll have an avid collection of something from the west and it may just be whisky. Luckily for us, they’re happy to take the more expensive whiskies.

“We’ve also found that people from Europe tend to be a bit older, generally in their 50’s. They’re people who made their money from business, but they’re a bit more cautious about spending.”

Despite hosting people from all over the world, they all have one thing in common. Kevin, who works at the Craigellachie Hotel says: “Usually they have a very, very keen interest in whisky and that’s the reason why they’re here. It’s a big effort and a big spend for most of our guests to come from all corners of the world to spend some time in Scotland.”

"Whisky's an indoor sport that's not reliant on sunshine, so it gives us an additional seasonal boost.”

Station Hotel's Spirit Safe

COLLABORATION

Whether you want to start hosting more whisky enthusiasts, set up your own distillery or gain industry connections, these three experts all strongly suggest collaborating with distilleries. But how do you go about doing that?

Stephen said: “Just get out there, go and visit the distilleries and talk to people.

“Station hotel is owned by Forsyth, one of the biggest manufacturers of distilling equipment in the world. They’re based right next door, so we get a lot of Forsyth clients come and stay with us.

“We’re in a very lucky position because we already have established relationships with a lot of distilleries as they all buy equipment from Forsyth.”

Kevin from the Craigellachie also suggested meeting “face to face is always good”. “Nine times out of ten, you’ll find your request to go and have a look around, and try some of the whisky, is welcomed positively,” he said.

“At certain times of the year, some distilleries invite the hospitality industry in and take them on tours. They want people to be educated about their product and be able to pass that information on.”

The Quaich Bar at the Craigellachie Hotel

Dornoch Castle Hotel and Distillery is well connected with international businesses and Colin’s sons, Simon and Phil, travel to Japan “at least once a year, sometimes twice, to host tastings.” After running the whisky bar at the British Trade Fair in 2015, 2016 and 2017, the Dornoch owners found themselves in front of a brand-new audience and they now work with many businesses in the far east. Whether you collaborate locally or internationally, Colin expressed the importance of travelling and meeting those you hope to work with.

“They’re just so delighted to see you, that you made the effort to travel all that way to go and see them. It cements the relationship,” said Colin.

“They truly respect you for going out there and they reward you by working with you. So, depending on what you’re trying to achieve, you’ve got to be prepared to get your finger out and go over there.”

Dornoch’s Distillery is connected to the hotel and Colin believes in forging relationships between the hospitality and whisky industries.

“You need to go and speak to as many distillery managers as you possibly can. If there’s a local distillery near you, forge a relationship with them. Get them in for dinner. Any number of distributors will come and do tasting dinners, they are always happy to help you.

“Distilleries have very knowledgeable staff and they’ll suggest you get the managers over and do some demos for some customers. Hold a couple of specialist nights, maybe whisky dinners, and have them come and do some work with you.”

Station Hotel's Bar

But you won’t be the only one wishing to forge these relationships. The distillery companies themselves will also be on the lookout for accommodation providers to work with.

Kevin from the Craigellachie said: “You’ll quickly find there’s another side to these relationships. It’s not just you sending guests there, but actually, these companies have a need for accommodation too because they’re always bringing people over to the UK.

“For example, let’s say one of the distilleries brings over a party of premium bartenders and they’re looking for a property to host them. By going on a tour and telling the visitor centre that you own accommodation, they would have forged a relationship with you, put you in touch with their room booker and before you know it, you’re on their list. It’s really simple.”

He adds: “I take real pleasure out of learning from them and having that very real connection with the visitor centres or the distillery workers.”

Stephen expressed that you should “just dive in” and said: “Don’t be shy. Don’t worry about looking silly. If you have a question, just ask it.”

Kevin added that, although it seems like a very corporate and formal process, connecting business to business isn’t all that bad.

Station Hotel Whisky

YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS

So, you’ve thought about potential guests and forging relationships with distilleries, but what can you do personally, with your own business?

Colin Thompson said: “Knowledge is everything. You’ve got to have a very detailed interest in the industry and the subject. Someone’s got to know exactly what you’ve got and be able to explain the differences and nuances between them all."

Kevin from The Craigellachie also said: “It helps to be genuinely interested in the drinks industry and whisky in particular. It’s good knowing about the history, the characteristics, and some of the fun stories that come out of these distilleries. Being able to pass that on to our guests in a fun and conversational manner, rather than a lecturing manner, is important.

“Just the other day I chose one of over 900 bottles off the shelf. My bartender Angus started spouting off this story about King Alexander and it was the first time I’d ever heard this story and it still makes me impressed every day.”

TOP 6 TIPS:

1. Talk to distilleries

2. Local knowledge

3. Gain whisky knowledge

4. Knowledgeable team

5. Personal interest

6. Be prepared to spend money

The 26 room Craigellachie Hotel, located in Speyside, is only a five-minute drive from the Macallan Distillery. Their very own Quaich Bar houses an impressive 900+ whiskies from all over the world.

The Dornoch Castle Hotel, located in the Scottish Highlands is connected to Dornoch Distillery, which is run by the Thompson brothers, the sons of the hotel’s owner. Dornoch Castle’s whisky bar has achieved international acclaim and is the No.1 Whisky Hotel of the year according to whiskybase.com.

Station Hotel is owned by Forsyth, manufacturers of distilling equipment. 60 distilleries are located within a 50-mile radius of the hotel. Their whisky bar is home to more than 500 whiskies as well as an impressive spirit safe.

Dornoch Castle Hotel's Whisky Bar

Stephen also believes knowing the histories and stories of the whiskies you offer is advantageous. “Everyone loves a story about the whisky that they’re drinking, and through our expertise and experience, we can share that with people. Get as much knowledge as you can. I would always suggest that you try and taste as many whiskies as you can to find out your own favourites.”

But whether you have this knowledge already or you acquire it later, Colin expressed the importance of having a great team working for you.

“If you have a bar, you’ve got to have someone really good. We try to find someone who’s trained in whisky bar service. Last season we had a guy from Australia who was brought up in China and his knowledge was absolutely stunning.

“You could go into any whisky bar who has thousands of whiskies in any city, but the person behind the bar might not know the slightest thing or have the slightest interest. It’s very easy to lose a customer if you haven’t got that detailed interest or knowledge behind the bar.

“It comes down to employing the right guys. Sounds crazy but the best we’ve had have been from the far east. Their dedication to the industry is just unbelievable.”

Stephen added: “An awful lot of the job is listening to someone when they tell you what they like and what they’re looking for. It’s about matching those two together.

“It’s not finding the best whisky overall, it’s about finding the best whisky for that person within their price range. You want as much knowledge as you can behind the bar so that you can help.”

Kevin said that his team behind Craigellachie’s whisky bar, The Quaich, are one of a kind. “We’ve got a great team and they’re genuinely interested in whisky. They immerse themselves in it and they love talking to our guests about it.”

Copper Dog at the Craigellachie

He also expressed the importance of having the right attitude. He said: “A big portion of our guests have travelled a long way from Asia, northern Europe, or America. That’s a huge investment. We should be doing as much as we can to make that guest’s experience as special as possible.”

If you want to provide whisky for your guests, Colin advises being prepared to spend some money. “It’s not a cheap game when you have a whisky bar. You can’t just buy 60, 70 bottles. You’ve got to be prepared to spend some serious money on stock.

“On a normal bar, you might have 10,000 pounds worth of stock. But, if you come into our bar, the stock values closer to 50,000. And that needs to be turning all the time. There’s no point in the bottles looking all pretty and dusty at the back for months on end. Get it out and get it sold.”

But it’s not just the whisky. Stephen said: “I think the most important thing is local knowledge. Which are the best distilleries to visit, what facilities each distillery offers and then everything else you can do here. It’s about promoting the whole area and giving people all the information so that they can decide what they want to go and see.”

He added: “Before guests arrive, you might want to find out if there are any particular distilleries or whiskies that they want to try, because sometimes, if you’re looking to book a tour, they’ll be full.”

Kevin said: “It’s about knowing what’s on offer locally and really selling the area, because you want these guests to have a great time and come back.”

The whisky industry is definitely something to consider getting involved with, but if your personal distaste for the spirit is putting you off, Stephen said: “Have a go. Have a taste. You will find a whisky that you like.”

"Have a go. Have a taste. You'll find a whisky that you like”

Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh has launched a cask programme offering the opportunity to create truly bespoke whisky. With a limited run of only 200 whisky casks in 2020, the programme allows customers to tailor whiskies to their tastes, by involving them in every stage of the production process. They are focusing on four new core spirit flavours: fruity & floral, sweet, spicy and smoky. Cask purchasers can tailor their choices.

Stephen added: “Most people say they don’t like whisky and part of our job is to find the whisky that, actually, they do like. Even if it means adding a little bit of water, that’s absolutely fine. “Just go for it.”

"Passing information on in a fun and conversational manner, rather than a lecturing manner, is important."

Buck & Birch

A NEW APPROACH TO TOURS? Buck & Birch, explorers, experimenters and wild flavour innovators, are on a mission to reconnect people to their environments through drinks, dining and wilderness experiences. Co-founders Tom Chisholm and Rupert Waites are the creators of Aelder Elixir and have recently launched their wild bottled cocktail range.

This Scottish based company have launched their ‘Restoring Vital Connections’ campaign, encouraging people to “take a walk on the wild side” to forage for rosehips and crab apples.

“We believe ingredients should be left as nature intended. We champion the fruit, the roots, shoots, leaves, buds and petals, doing as little as possible to divert from their natural flavour,” said Tom.

Buck & Birch enjoy taking people out into nature and educating them on how best to forage for ingredients. Rupert said: “It connects people to their environment in a positive way. Rosehips are a perfect place to start, being easy to identify and really abundant. Foraging is great for mind and body. What a better way to get exercise, fresh air and a greater understanding of the incredible and even exotic world right on your doorstep.”

Tom said: “Our approach is very different to most other producers and as a consequence, our drinks are very different too. We want to celebrate and share the fantastic flavours of the wild with as many people as possible. Each of our creations always starts with a walk in the woods. It’s a case of exploring and experimenting with the flavours we have found.”

The ethos of Buck & Birch is to “go back to the source” and hand harvest ingredients when they are at their best. It’s possible that these forest foraging walks are something that we should all take note of. Maybe the future for whisky based tours lies within forest walks?

DISTILLERY LOCATIONS BY REGION

Highlands (47), Speyside (50), Islay (9), Campbeltown (2) Lowlands (18)

Total distilleries = 126

HIGHLANDS

01 Aberfeldy Distillery 02 Abhainn Dearg Distillery 03 Arbikie Distillery 04 Ardmore Distillery 05 Ardnamurchan Distillery 06 Balblair Distillery 07 Ben Nevis Distillery 08 Blair Athol Distillery 09 Clynelish Distillery 10 Dalmore Distillery 11 Dalwhinnie Distillery 12 Deanston Distillery 13 Edradour Distillery 14 Fettercairn Distillery 15 Glencadam Distillery 16 GlenDronach Distillery 17 Glen Garioch Distillery 18 Glenglassaugh Distillery 19 Glengoyne Distillery 20 Glenmorangie Distillery 21 Glen Ord Distillery 22 Glenturret Distillery 23 Highland Park Distillery 24 Invergordon Distillery 25 Isle of Arran Distillery 26 Isle of Harris Distillery 27 Isle of Jura Distillery 28 Loch Lomond Distillery 29 Macduff Distillery 30 Oban Distillery 31 Pulteney Distillery 32 Royal Brackla Distillery 33 Royal Lochnagar Distillery 34 Scapa Distillery 35 Strathearn Distillery 36 Talisker Distillery 37 Teaninich Distillery 38 Tobermory Distillery 39 Tomatin Distillery 40 Tullibardine Distillery 41 Wolfburn Distillery

SPEYSIDE

01 Aberlour Distillery 02 Allt-a-bhainne Distillery 03 Auchroisk Distillery 04 Aultmore Distillery 05 Ballindalloch Distillery 06 Balmenach Distillery 07 Balvenie Distillery 08 BenRiach Distillery 09 Benrinnes Distillery 10 Benromach Distillery 11 Braeval (Braes of Glenlivet) Distillery 12 Cardhu Distillery 13 Cragganmore Distillery 14 Craigellachie Distillery 15 Dailuaine Distillery 16 Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery 17 Dufftown Distillery 18 Glenallachie Distillery 19 Glenburgie Distillery 20 Glendullan Distillery 21 Glen Elgin Distillery 22 Glenfarclas Distillery 23 Glenfiddich Distillery 24 Glen Grant Distillery 25 Glen Keith Distillery 26 Glenlossie Distillery 27 The Glenlivet Distillery 28 Glen Moray Distillery 29 Glen Spey Distillery 30 Glentauchers Distillery 31 Glenrothes Distillery32 Inchgower Distillery 33 Kininvie Distillery 34 Knockando Distillery 35 Knockdhu Distillery 36 Linkwood Distillery 37 Longmorn Distillery 38 Macallan Distillery 39 Mannochmore Distillery 40 Miltonduff Distillery 41 Mortlach Distillery 42 Roseisle Distillery 43 Speyburn Distillery 44 Speyside Distillery 45 Strathisla Distillery 46 Strathmill Distillery 47 Tamdhu Distillery 48 Tamnavulin Distillery 49 Tomintoul Distillery 50 Tormore Distillery

ISLAY

01 Ardbeg Distillery 02 Bowmore Distillery 03 Kilchoman Distillery 04 Bunnahabhain Distillery 05 Caol Ila Distillery 06 Bruichladdich Distillery 07 Lagavulin Distillery 08 Laphroaig Distillery

CAMBELTOWN

01 Glen Scotia Distillery 02 Glengyle/Kilkerran Distillery 03 Springbank Distillery

LOWLANDS

01 Ailsa Bay Distillery 02 Annandale Distillery 03 Auchentoshan Distillery 04 Bladnoch Distillery 05 Cameronbridge Distillery 06 Daftmill Distillery 07 Eden Mill Distillery 08 Girvan Distillery 09 Glenkinchie Distillery 10 Kingbarns Distillery 11 North British Distillery 12 Starlaw Distillery 13 Strathclyde Distillery

URLs to note:

• dornochcastlehotel.com

• stationhotelspeyside.com

• craigellachiehotel.co.uk

• holyrooddistillery.co.uk/ cask-owners/

• buckandbirch.com

www.luxurybbmag.co.uk October / November 2020 || Luxury BnB || 15