Plans to create a global flagship visitor experience for Johnnie Walker have taken a major stride forward with official approval from planning chiefs in Edinburgh.
The City of Edinburgh Council planning committee today formally granted permission for the project, which will transform one of the city’s most important landmark buildings into a major new tourist destination.
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The Johnnie Walker visitor experience is the focal point of a £150 million investment in Scotch whisky tourism by leading global spirits company Diageo, which it claims is the biggest single investment programme "ever seen in the whisky tourism sector".
The proposals would see the "meticulous restoration of the building at 146 Princes Street with many of its beautiful heritage features preserved where possible and integrated into the visitor experience".
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This will include restoring the famous clock on the corner of Princes Street and Hope Street – known locally as the Binns corner after the former department store - which was an Edinburgh institution and traditional meeting point for city residents.
It was most recently home to House of Fraser.
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."
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