DRINKS giant Diageo has lodged plans for a seven-storey whisky visitor centre in the former Frasers department store at the west end of Edinburgh’s Princes Street.
The firm intends to create a Johnnie Walker “visitor experience” as part of a £150 million investment in whisky tourism. It would include a new store set-up in the building, rooftop bars, an events space and a bar academy. The latter would provide training and employment opportunities for people out of work, as well as striving to improve standards in the hospitality sector.
Diageo and building owners Parabola have submitted a formal planning application to Edinburgh City Council that pledges to preserve and restore the property’s historical features. The chairman of Diageo in Scotland, David Cutter (pictured), said: “The location is one of Edinburgh’s most exceptional landmark buildings and we plan to restore it to its former glory as a cornerstone of the city and a thriving part of its cultural and social life.
“We have the most passionate and skilled whisky-makers in the world here in Scotland and we want to celebrate their craft and everything that is great about Scotland and whisky.”
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