DIAGEO DISTILLERIES
To support Diageo’s whisky tourism strategy, we transformed historic single malt production sites into sophisticated brand homes. Collaborating with experience designers, we integrated complex media networks, including interactive displays, synchronised audio, and projection mapping, directly into the heritage infrastructure of Glenkinchie, Talisker, and The Singleton of Glen Ord. Commissioning these invisible hardware systems off-site protected the architecture while ensuring absolute reliability under heavy footfall. The upgraded destinations have welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors and secured major global accolades, including World’s Leading Whisky Distillery Tour at the World Travel Awards.
To support Diageo’s whisky tourism strategy, we transformed historic single malt production sites into sophisticated brand homes. Collaborating with experience designers, we integrated complex media networks, including interactive displays, synchronised audio, and projection mapping, directly into the heritage infrastructure of Glenkinchie, Talisker, and The Singleton of Glen Ord. Commissioning these invisible hardware systems off-site protected the architecture while ensuring absolute reliability under heavy footfall. The upgraded destinations have welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors and secured major global accolades, including World’s Leading Whisky Distillery Tour at the World Travel Awards.
Translating Historic Whisky Landscapes Into Immersive Sensory Spaces
Diageo presented us with a monumental ambition: transforming their traditional distillery visitor centres across Scotland into world class brand homes. As the backbone of an unprecedented 185 million pound investment in whisky tourism, these spaces needed to do far more than show guests around production lines. Each site, from the Lowland fields of Glenkinchie to the rugged coastlines of Talisker, required an environment that translated geographic flavour influences into deep emotional connections. The creative designs called for highly complex narratives told through multi-sensory mediums, but the physical spaces consisted of centuries old Victorian warehouses and raw infrastructure. The challenge was ensuring that sophisticated storytelling could function reliably inside irregular architectural spaces without compromising the historic character of the buildings or flattening the emotional arc of the intended guest journey.
Integrating Adaptable Technology Networks Within Restricted Heritage Infrastructures
We collaborated closely with experience designers to bring these ambitious creative visions to life through robust engineering. At Glenkinchie, Talisker, and The Singleton of Glen Ord, we structured the systems around central software networks rather than independent, rigid cabling. This approach allowed the technology to breathe within the buildings, mapping custom video displays, dramatic automated lighting, and large scale projection systems perfectly against historic brickwork and irregular geometry. In the tasting rooms and maturation spaces, we synchronised media transport protocols to deliver frame accurate audio soundscapes and interactive elements that trigger at the exact same millisecond. By commissioning every system off site in our workshops before installation, we resolved routing challenges early. This ensured the hardware remained invisible to the guests, allowing the focus to stay entirely on the craft and passion of the whisky makers.
Exceptional Audience Footfall And Global Tourism Recognition
The proof of this partnership rests in spaces that perform under heavy operational pressure. Talisker now accommodates up to 150,000 visitors annually, anchoring a 30 percent net sales growth in peak years while maintaining absolute technical stability. Our work at The Singleton of Glen Ord helped secure prestigious global accolades, including Visitor Attraction of the Year at the Icons of Whisky Awards and World’s Leading Whisky Distillery Tour at the World Travel Awards. Meanwhile, Glenkinchie won The Leading Scottish Distillery Tour, proving that heritage spaces can successfully support sophisticated modern systems.
