A SCOTCH whisky tourism attraction in the Scottish capital has been awarded a five star visitor rating.

Johnnie Walker Princes Street, the eight-floor whisky attraction in Edinburgh’s west end, is celebrating the "major tourism milestone" as it was granted VisitScotland’s Five Star Attraction accreditation.

Awarded as part of the organisation’s quality assurance scheme, assessors commented that Johnnie Walker Princes Street’s tour offering "demonstrated a real wow factor, with incredible storytelling and seamless technology adding a whole new dimension to the experience".

The venue joins a list of existing Five Star Attractions including Edinburgh Castle, The National Museum of Scotland and the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Barbara Smith, managing director of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said: “We’ve enjoyed a wonderful 14 months on Princes Street welcoming over 345,000 guests from 112 countries since we opened our doors, and we’re delighted to have our efforts recognised by VisitScotland’s internationally renowned Quality Assurance Scheme.

“From our ground floor to our rooftop bars, we’ve got an incredible team of people ensuring our guests have the best possible experience with us day in and day out and being recognised by this scheme is further proof of the excellent work that they do. Congratulations to the team on another amazing achievement.”

Rob Dickson, of VisitScotland, said: "This is a fantastic achievement and a real reflection of the excellent visitor experience that the team at Johnnie Walker Princes Street are providing.

“Our Quality Assurance scheme helps us drive up standards across the industry, effectively setting expectations and providing reassurance for visitors to Scotland. Our Stars represent world class excellence – helping businesses demonstrate they care about quality and enabling visitors to make informed choices.”


City centre building sold for £6 million

A WAREHOUSE occupied by DIY retailer Wickes in Edinburgh has been sold for £6 million, underlining the appeal to investors of properties that can provide steady returns amid inflationary conditions.

The 21,935 square feet site, which occupies a prominent site on Stevenson Road, is let to building supplies provider Wickes on long-term lease.


​Slight rise to unemployment in Scotland

SCOTLAND'S unemployment rates have increased last quarter, the latest figures show. 

Between July and September this year, the unemployment rate among those aged 16 years and over was 3.5%, which was 0.3% up on the previous quarter, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed.


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