Johnnie Walker Experience

ith unrivalled views over Edinburgh, a unique attraction is shaping up to be the new must-see for visitors to the Scottish capital. Bringing to life the 201-year-old story of the world’s most popular Scotch whisky, Johnnie Walker Princes Street is a treat for the senses. But it isn’t only whisky aficionados who will be drawn to this new immersive experience. The venue, housed in an art deco former department store in the heart of Edinburgh’s West End, offers something for everybody: from original artwork and live music to the finest seasonal Scottish food and a range of delicious cocktails and mocktails. BRC Imagination Arts, the design and production firm behind some of the world’s most impressive visitor attractions – including the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin and Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida – clearly has another hit on its hands. Christian Lachel, its chief creative officer, says: “We’ve created spaces in Johnnie Walker Princes Street that both locals and tourists can enjoy, including great bars and areas for live events. The experience gives a nod to tradition, but with a very modern and bold approach.” The story of Johnnie Walker is being told to new audiences through an array of interactive tours. Barbara Smith, managing director of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, says: “We want to celebrate the rich heritage of Johnnie Walker, which is woven into the experience, while showcasing what the future of whisky looks like.” The experience takes you from the start of the story, in 1820, when a young John Walker sold the family farm after his father’s death to set up a shop in Kilmarnock. It was here that the family experimented with blending whiskies. Two centuries later, the whisky that still bears his name is now the world’s top seller, bought in 180 countries. Johnnie Walker’s iconic “striding man” logo was first drawn in 1908 by Tom Brown, a cartoonist for Punch magazine. “In true Walker style they decided to do something radically different by having this London dandy figure promote their brand,” explains Christine McCafferty, Diageo’s head archivist. “He’s very outward-looking, approachable and doesn’t take himself too seriously.”

Johnnie Walker’s new attraction offers an immersive experience set over eight floors – even including the chance to create your own AI-influenced highball cocktails

Liquid gold

Bottoms up The Explorers’ Bothy Bar is home to 150 rare Johnnie Walker bottles and limited cask editions

Johnnie Walker Princes Street is a venue both steeped in tradition and energised by innovative design, across all eight of its floors. The first thing to catch your eye when you enter is the spectacular wood-panelled staircase installed under an original lightwell, which winds like a ribbon from the basement towards the top of the building. Downstairs is the atmospheric Whisky Makers’ Cellar, whose walls are lined with casks of “liquid gold” from which visitors can sample drams that can’t be found anywhere else. On street level, the shop has floor to ceiling windows looking out onto Edinburgh’s bustling West End. Upstairs, the Grocers’ Sensorium space offers modern interpretations of Walker’s original Kilmarnock store. And on the fourth floor, the next generation of mixologists can learn their trade as part of Diageo’s Learning for Life hospitality skills programme; while The Label Studio hosts a series of live events and performances. A rooftop extension on the original building houses The Explorers’ Bothy Bar, which stocks more than 150 rare bottles and limited cask editions; the 1820 bar and terrace, where visitors can sip a Johnnie Walker highball cocktail while gazing out on Edinburgh Castle; and the Blue Label private dining area. Guests can also enjoy some local art during their visit. As Lachel says: “We wanted to celebrate homegrown artists and artisans.” The Bothy – named for the refuges created for travellers in Scotland’s wild spaces – features an original work from renowned Scottish landscape artist Scott Naismith, whose work Lachel describes as “incredibly colourful and bold, just like our visitor experience”. Melissa White, who has created beautifully illustrated wallpaper for top hotels, has designed some telling the Johnnie Walker story. And East Lothian-based Jason Baker Design has used its craftsmanship to create unusual wooden features throughout the building. The venue’s signature tour is the Johnnie Walker Journey of Flavour, which takes visitors on a 90-minute immersive trip through the “whisky’s search for flavour”. It aims to showcase how science and artistry combine to brilliant effect in Johnnie Walker’s blended whiskies. It starts with each visitor answering a series of questions about their preferred tastes, and then, in a decidedly modern twist, it harnesses the power of FlavorPrint AI technology to decide on their first drink and the highball cocktail that’s the ideal match for their taste buds. There’s also the Whisky Explorers’ tour for those who want to taste a range of drams while having a chat in the Bothy Bar. And in the History Adventure you can meet Christine McCafferty, who will share her in-depth knowledge of all things Johnnie Walker, gained as head of Diageo’s archives.

Savour the flavour Visitors to the experiential whisky emporium can learn about different variants, and even personalise their own bottle to take away

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Raise the rooftop Cocktails and city views in The Explorers’ Bothy and 1820 bar and terrace

In line with parent company Diageo’s ten-year sustainability action plan, respect for the environment is in Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s DNA, which is reflected in its sustainable sedum roof. The building and its tours have been designed to be accessible and inclusive. Diageo and BRC Imagination Arts have worked with Euan’s Guide, a disabled access charity, to ensure everyone can enjoy the visitor experience. Barbara Smith sums it up: “There’s nothing else like it in the world, particularly in whisky tourism. We want to make everyone who walks through the door have an experience they won’t forget.” And Smith, having worked at Edinburgh Zoo, Chester Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, knows what she’s talking about. As well as taking the lead at the new venue, she is overseeing the opening this year of the Four Corners distilleries that are part of Diageo’s £185 million investment in whisky tourism: Glenkinchie, close to Edinburgh; Cardhu in Speyside; Clynelish in the Highlands; and Caol Ila on Islay. Smith says that Johnnie Walker Princes Street would make an excellent starting point for people’s whisky journeys around Scotland. For those who have visited Edinburgh before – perhaps to climb the ancient volcano of Arthur’s Seat, or to celebrate Hogmanay – Johnnie Walker Princes Street is the best reason to return. And for anyone who hasn’t had a chance to explore this remarkable city, this new attraction is all the incentive you need.

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