FROM WORLD-FAMOUS PIPER TO GLOBAL WHISKY ICON: STUART CASSELLS SCOOPS TOP AWARD FOR THE FAMOUS GROUSE EXPERIENCE

The Famous Grouse Experience continued its award-winning streak last night with another accolade: Whisky Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year at the Global Icons of Whisky Awards.

The award, organised by Whisky Magazine, was given to General Manager Stuart Cassells on Thursday night for his work in cementing The Famous Grouse Experience, part of the Glenturret Distillery, as one of Scotland’s must-visit destinations.

The founder and former frontman of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Cassells joined The Famous Grouse Experience in 2014 after medical retirement forced him to hang up his bagpipes. After years of travelling the world as a musician and ambassador for Scotland, Cassells turned to promoting Scotland on his home turf as part of Edrington, owner of The Famous Grouse Experience. No stranger to topping the charts, Stuart’s illustrious career as an international musician was itself finely tuned by a winning the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year in 2005.

This latest award is one in what is rapidly becoming a long line of accolades for Scotland’s oldest working distillery, the only place in Scotland to still produce malt whisky using the traditional hand mashing process. In December The Famous Grouse Experience scooped three regional Icons of Whisky Awards: Whisky Visitor Attraction Manager of the Year; Distillery Manager of the Year; and a Highly Commended for Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year. In November The Famous Grouse Experience was voted Best Visitor Experience at the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) Awards. The attraction was also recently listed as the number one sight to see in Crieff on TripAdvisor, the website that features advice from millions of travelers.

The awards, which celebrate whisky producers across the world and acknowledge whisky’s growing strength as an industry, were handed out at black tie event in London on Thursday night. Attending the event, General Manager Stuart Cassells commented:

“This award reflects how hard the team at The Famous Grouse Experience and Glenturret Distillery have worked and I am proud of everyone who has put the distillery on the tourist map, not just nationally but globally. We’re delighted to be helping to boost Scotland’s tourism as a result. It’s an exciting time for whisky and Scottish tourism, and we can’t wait to take Scotland’s oldest working distillery even further as a tourist icon.”