When the Tennent family first began brewing on the banks of a Glasgow burn in the 1500s, little did they know that tourists would one day flock to the site to hear their story.

Their small operation in the city's East End went on to become Wellpark Brewery, home of the "cultural icon" Tennent's Lager, and leading pioneer in the world's beer industry.

And now the site will also be home to a new £1 million plus visitor centre which aims to become the leading beer tourism attraction in the UK.

Glasgow tourism chiefs hope the new centre, which opens next month, will help the city meet its goal of attracting one million extra visitors a year by 2023.

Tourists spend about £1 billion a year on food and drink while visiting Scotland.

Alan McGarrie, group brand director for Tennent's Lager, said: "The Tennent's story is at the heart of Glasgow's history and with this significant company investment at our home at Wellpark we are bringing the story to life - bigger and better than we ever have before, as we showcase the brewery, the beer and the brand.

"With an ever growing interest in the provenance story of beer, and subsequent rise in beer tourism, we want to give locals and visitors to the city a behind the scenes look at not just a working brewery but the history of Scotland's No 1 beer and the cultural icon that is Tennent's Lager.

"It has been an incredible experience to watch the transformation of the visitor centre over the last 7 months, which will build upon Scotland’s best-loved brewery tour and we can’t wait to open the doors to the public in November. We look forward to watching the impact and growth this will have for tourism not only in Glasgow, but in Scotland as a whole."

Records show that members of the Tennent family were brewing at the Wellpark site, on the banks of the Molendiner Burn, as far back as the 1550s.

However, it was in 1884 that founder Hugh Tennent - the last member of the family to own and operate the business - travelled to Bavaria and returned home with the idea of building a new lager brewery at the site.

Described by newspapers at the time as a "madman’s dream", the brewery produced its first bottles of Tennent's Lager the following year.

The lager went on to receive plaudits from around the world, including the Gold Medal in Jamaica and the "Highest Possible and Only Award of Honour" in Chicago.

In the 1890's, the company also pioneered and patented "stopped bottles" before going on to be at the forefront of introducing canned lager to the UK.

Tennent's says the new visitor centre will look back to the early days in the 1500s and centre on the story of Hugh Tennent and his dream of creating a mass production brewery.

Jim Clarkson, of tourism body VisitScotland, said: "Visitors love the Tennent's brand for the same wit and warmth of personality that they love in Glasgow itself."

He hailed the new visitor centre as a "great fit for the tourism experience in the city" and added: "It is an exciting time for Scottish brewing with the growing global demand for variety and quality of beer greater than ever.

"Scottish beer appeals to almost a quarter of visitors to Scotland and this investment demonstrates a real commitment to further promoting Scotland's brewing heritage.

"Tourism is more than a holiday experience – it is integral to sustaining communities across Scotland by generating income, creating jobs and stimulating social change.”

Councillor David McDonald, depute leader of Glasgow City Council said the story of Tennent's Lager was "almost as old as the city itself".

He said: "Our focus is on showcasing Glasgow as an outstanding global city, one that's welcoming and vibrant with a rich cultural heritage, a flourishing food and drink sector and an unrivalled visitor experience.

"Tennent's investment in this exciting new attraction strongly reflects our ambition and will undoubtedly boost Glasgow's tourism economic in the coming years."

In the 1960s the brand's popularity grew and the famous "Lager Lovelies" began to appear on cans.

In 1966, the company underwent a merger with United Caledonian Breweries to become Tennent Caledonian Breweries.

Now owned by C&C Group plc, the brand has also proved synonymous with the Scottish music and football scenes in more recent years, becoming a founding partner of Scotland's biggest music festival, T in the Park, in 1994.

It has also sponsored the Scottish national football team, as well as both sides of the Old Firm, over the years.

The new attraction features motion capture animations developed by Glasgow School of Art, artwork from graffiti artist Conzo Throb, personal stories from generations of Tennent’s alumni, as well as fascinating artefacts from days gone by.

Visitors can also enjoy a brewery tour after visiting the centre before ending their trip at the revamped tasting experience.