A SCOTCH whisky distiller has announced a record number of guests to its visitor centre last year.

This is the first time Tomatin has surpassed 49,000 people visiting the Highland distillery and the first time it has exceeded £1 million in turnover.

In the last five years, visitor numbers to the Highland distillery have grown by 140 per cent — thought to be due to increased awareness of the Tomatin brand.

Louise Taylor, Tomatin visitor centre manager, said: “We have put a lot of effort into developing high quality and informative tours, with an access all areas approach allowing our visitors and loyal fans to really understand who we are and what we do at Tomatin. Our tours cater for different interest levels, ranging from those who are visiting a Scottish whisky distillery for the first time to those who have visited many others before.”

Visitors can experience the entire whisky journey, from the barley and the source of the distillery’s water, to the various pieces of equipment used to make the whisky, including an original mill.