The Scottish Whisky industry is predicting a bumper year following record numbers visitors to distilleries across the country.
Industry leaders said that whisky tourism was rivalling big attractions like Edinburgh Castle and the National Museum of Scotland, with tourists eager to see the unique heritage and age-old practices of Scotch Whisky production.
A record 1.7 million visitors from around the world travelled to more than 40 distillery visitor centres in 2016, a 25 per cent increase since 2010.
Earlier this month, drinks giant Diageo also reported record numbers of visitors to its 12 distilleries across Scotland.
Karen Betts, Chief Executive at the Scotch Whisky Association, said she "fully expected" the tourism boom to continue in the year ahead.
She said: "Scotch Whisky producers have invested in distillery visitor centres, their staff and shops to ensure their guests get the best possible experience. As well as benefitting our industry, the increasing number of visitors is great news for the wider Scottish economy, particularly in rural areas, with visitors to Scotch Whisky distilleries staying in local hotels, eating high quality meals in pubs and restaurants, and shopping for local products."
Recent new Scottish attractions include the The Isle of Raasay Distillery, Clydeside Distillery in Glasgow and a whisky tasting bar made out of a recycled mash tun by the Abercrombie coppersmiths at Blair Athol Distillery.
A new Macallan distillery and visitor centre is due to open in June 2018 in Speyside.
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