You might have noticed that over the past few years the North Coast 500 has become one of the most popular things for tourists (and indeed Scots themselves) to do in the warmer months. Well, now there's another reason to visit the route, thanks to the latest visitor attraction that has just opened near Inverness.
Close to the starting, and end, point of the 514-mile NC500 lies Glen Ord Distillery, just a short hop from the Highland capital of Inverness, near the picturesque village of Muir of Ord. The new home of Diageo's The Singleton whisky, its visitor centre has been given a major refit as part of a £185million pound investment in Scotch whisky tourism, which will also see Talisker Distillery on Skye, and Caol Ila on Islay, upgraded later this year too.
From the inviting copper framed entrance to the vibrant blue of the interior (inspired by the verdigris you'll find in the copper of the spirit safe), the traditional distillery has been given a striking face lift to make it more attractive to not only whisky fans but also first-timers and other visitors too.
Inside you'll find a modern distillery shop with all the latest Singleton and Diageo releases, alongside some bottle-your-own specials and limited editions you can only buy at the Distillery.
Then there is the stylish bar area where you'll be able to stop in and enjoy whisky cocktails, drams, coffee and of course, local Scottish food produce perfect for pairing with the whisky.
Foodies will love the deli counter, which serves up everything from smoked duck breast and hot poached salmon, to vegan and vegetarian delights made by the very best Scottish suppliers.
Also, perhaps most excitingly, they've teamed up with the incredibly popular Bad Girl Bakery (also based in the Muir of Ord) to create a range of exciting cakes and desserts.
Designed to be as inclusive as possible, Diageo worked closely with Euan’s Guide, a disabled access charity, to make the Singleton brand home more accessible, including the only Changing Places toilet in a distillery brand home.
The new visitor centre also holds a Green Tourism Gold Award – the highest sustainability accolated for a visitor attraction.
The distillery itself has also been given a bit of a sprucing up, with people able to get up close and personal with how this exciting spirit is made.
Currently, they are offering a 90-minute distillery tour, which is informative and takes guests on a deep dive into every part of the processing from the maltings right through to the distillation and maturation.
However, they have plans to add even more experiences to this in the coming months to ensure there is plenty to do for even the most hardcore of whisky fans.
Speaking with North Coast 500 operations director, Craig Mills, whose website has has had one million visitors in the last year from those looking to plan a summer trip, about the Home of the Singelton, he said he believes it is sure to become a firm favourite with "both locals and tourists alike".
And on this showing, we definitely agree.
You can book your own tour and find out more about this latest NC500 attraction here.
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