Diageo sent two of its top brass to Scotland yesterday on an exercise in tough diplomacy, couching in sympathetic tones the clearest message yet that the drinks giant is convinced operations in Kilmarnock and at Port Dundas in Glasgow must close.

Diageo sent two of its top brass to Scotland yesterday on an exercise in tough diplomacy, couching in sympathetic tones the clearest message yet that the drinks giant is convinced operations in Kilmarnock and at Port Dundas in Glasgow must close.

The European president of the company, Andrew Morgan, and the managing director of the global supply and procurement division, David Gosnell, made clear that they could envisage no circumstances in which the decisions would be reversed.

They said that unless the Scottish Government came up with something completely unexpected, the best Kilmarnock could hope for was decent closure terms and some kind of legacy for the town in recognition of the 200-year history of the Johnnie Walker brand there. This was unlikely to be a museum or heritage centre, they said, but the company was open to the best suggestions for how to mark the legacy.

On Port Dundas they spoke of the problems of operating a plant in a city centre, particularly given environmental concerns. While they remained "very much in listening mode" during the three-month consultation, it was clear the company would be surprised if Scottish Enterprise or the government came up with something to change their minds.

Asked about the political storm of recent days, Mr Morgan said: "When you think about the longevity of the relationship between our employees in Kilmarnock and the Johnnie Walker brand, and Diageo and its predecessor companies, this is a massive decision for us to take, so I don't think we are surprised that there is an element of, frankly, shock.

"What we are at pains to do is to explain absolutely why that is the right decision for our business and our brands globally for the long term."

Mr Gosnell made clear that alternatives such as building a new greenfield plant in Ayrshire had already been considered and rejected. "We know it's been difficult for employees. We took the time for the review," he said.

"We honestly looked at so many different alternatives. We honestly believe, therefore, that closing Kilmarnock is the answer. We did look at building a new site, but we couldn't get the economics to be competitive. We haven't done this lightly, therefore we don't want to raise people's hopes when we have actually looked at all this in the past."

Mr Morgan explained: "Essentially it comes down to the fact that we currently have three packaging units in Scotland and we only need two.

"There are some 38 packaging lines across these three plants and we only need a maximum of 28 going forward, and so the two-plant configuration is the one that optimises our competitiveness going forward.

"These are brands, Johnnie Walker in particular, that are truly global and compete in markets where there are very aggressive competitors."

They played down the significance of using Dutch holding companies to own brand names such as Johnnie Walker and argued that current plans should be seen as "an investment story".

They are putting in an extra £100m, which would recoup savings of £20m annually to put the future of the industry on a secure footing and guarantee their annual £400m spend on the supply chain in Scotland.

The only other positive note was the pledge from Mr Morgan: "We are absolutely committed to bottling Scotch Whisky in Scotland. Every bottle of Johnnie Walker you find around the world will be bottled in Scotland.

"Less than 5% of our total whisky volume is bottled outside Scotland.

"Why is that? We think that from a consumer point of view there is an advantage to having a product that you know was distilled, blended, bottled in Scotland, where Scotch whisky should come from. This is absolutely not about the beginning of moving bottling out of Scotland."

Mr Gosnell said the company had guaranteed no compulsory redundancies over the next year, early retirement packages, and help for those employees who want to relocate.

Kilmarnock and Loudoun MP Des Browne said: "I always said this was going to be a very difficult campaign and we should not underestimate Diageo. That's why the work by Scottish enterprise to check their case and take our own case forward is so important."

Finance Secretary John Swinney said: "Diageo have committed to holding a proper consultation and we must have a genuine consultation and not a sham.

"They've committed to supplying the information required to present an alternative business case and to listening to that alternative plan.

"We will hold them to that. Our efforts are built on presenting that case as soon as it is ready and to campaign determinedly to ensure it is given a fair chance.

"What Diageo must realise is that in the last week they have provoked some of the most damaging publicity ever encountered by a major company here.

"That is because there are more than five million people in Scotland who believe the company must understand the social consequences - particularly in Ayrshire - of their financial proposals are not acceptable to the people of Scotland."