PLANS for a Johnnie Walker global tourism attraction in Edinburgh have been approved by the council’s planning committee.
Formal permission was granted to the project yesterday, which would see the former House of Fraser building at 146 Princes Street transformed into a “global flagship visitor experience”.
The plans are the focal point of a £150 million investment in Scotch whisky tourism by Diageo.
Around 170 full-time equivalent jobs are expected to be created through the new venue, with estimates of £135m being generated in tourism spend for the wider Edinburgh economy.
The application includes plans to restore the clock on the corner of Princes Street and Hope Street – known as the Binns corner.
David Cutter, chairman of Diageo in Scotland, said: “This is another significant step forward in our journey to create an inspiring flagship destination for Johnnie Walker.
“We have had great support for our proposals from local stakeholders and businesses in Edinburgh and we are grateful to everyone who has helped us to get to this stage.
“We will continue to work with the local community as we now progress with construction and with making our plans a reality.”
Cristina Diezhandino, Diageo Global Scotch Whisky director, added: “We are incredibly excited by our plans for the Johnnie Walker visitor experience in Edinburgh where people can explore, discover, and immerse themselves in story of the world’s leading whisky brand.
“We have ambitious plans to make this a truly world-leading attraction, drawing people from the four corners of the globe to Scotland and to give them an unforgettable experience in Scotch whisky and Scottish culture.”
An application for a premises licence for the sale of alcohol is yet to be considered by the city’s licensing board.
Construction work is expected to begin in the early summer.
Glenkinchie, Cardhu, Caol Ila and Clynelish distilleries will be “linked directly” to the Edinburgh venue, the firm said, adding it would “encourage visitors to the capital city to also travel to the country’s extraordinary rural communities”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here