A Highland distillery has been crowned the World’s Leading Whisky Distillery tour at the global travel Oscars – the World Travel Awards.
The Singleton of Glen Ord, in Muir of Ord near Inverness, scooped the award at a ceremony in Madeira on Sunday, November 24, cementing the distillery’s reputation as a 'must visit' world-class visitor destination.
The prestigious win follows The Singleton securing Scotland’s Best Whisky Distillery Tour, also awarded by the World Travel Awards earlier this year.
The distillery visitor experience, which re-opened its doors in 2022 as part of Diageo’s £185-million investment into Scotch tourism, has welcomed 78,000 visitors in 2024, an increase of almost a third on 2023.
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Guests from Scotland, the UK and around the globe have enjoyed the immersive experience of the classic distillery tour, as well as the delicious locally sourced food served in the deli and, of course, Singleton single malt.
Located on the renowned North Coast 500 route, the distillery and brand home offers a variety of experiences for visitors. Its Malt to Cask tour offers visitors a chance to explore onsite drum maltings, sneak a glimpse into the bonded warehouse and taste the award-winning malt straight from the cask while The Singleton Distillery Tour takes a deep dive into The Singleton’s signature ‘Slow Craft’ process.
The Singleton Distillery has won a number of awards in the past two years. It was named Visitor Attraction of the Year at the Icons of Whisky Scotland and World Whiskies Awards 2024 in December last year, as well as a Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Award, having been consistently rated by the public as a five-star attraction in 2023 and 2024.
Leigh Aitken, Brand Home Manager at The Singleton of Glen Ord Distillery, was in Madeira to accept the award. She said: “Being crowned the World’s Leading Whisky Distillery Tour is a moment we will never forget. Scotland is home to so many fabulous whisky experiences so to be awarded this accolade is truly an honour. Our team work exceptionally hard to give guests the best possible experience.
"Whether it’s trying exclusive and rare whiskies, listening to live music sessions at our Singleton Sessions, or enjoying the wonderful stories associated with The Singleton history, our visitors always leave with plenty of memories and a strong desire to return.”
Johnnie Walker Princes Street in Edinburgh, the centrepiece of Diageo's £185 million investment in whisky tourism in Scotland also received an award at the Madeira ceremony, scooping World’s Leading Spirit Tourism Experience 2024 for a second year in a row.
The World Travel Awards is considered the most prestigious, comprehensive and sought after awards programme in the global travel and tourism industry.
Established in 1993, the awards acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.
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