MORE than 45,000 visitors passed through the doors of a whisky distillery near Pencaitland during the last 12 months.

The record figures for Glenkinchie Distillery were released last week and show an eight per cent increase on last year.

A total of 45,749 visited the distillery, continuing the year-on-year increase, with figures set to potentially double compared to the same period 10 years ago.

Ramsay Borthwick, manager at the distillery, to the south of Pencaitland, said: “It’s been another great year for tourism at Glenkinchie, with more people than ever before visiting the distillery.”

He added: “Our regular shuttle bus to Edinburgh is very popular and that has helped bring more tourists to the distillery.

“The main thing is that the team here do a fantastic job of welcoming visitors and giving them an unforgettable experience.

“We’re currently investing in upgrading our facilities so we can achieve further growth and make an even bigger contribution to tourism in East Lothian.”

The figures reflect a national trend, with the number of tourists visiting Diageo’s dozen distillery visitor centres across the country going up by seven per cent and passing 400,000 for the first time.

Diageo provides Scotch whisky tourism experiences across Scotland, running 12 distillery visitor centres across the country, from Glenkinchie to other well-known distilleries such as Lagavulin and Talisker in the Western Isles to Clynelish and Glen Ord in the north Highlands.

Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland chief executive, raised a toast to the impressive figures.

He said: “Whisky is one of Scotland’s most valuable commodities, with visitors from all over the world coming to our shores to experience an authentic Scottish dram.

“Scotland’s reputation as a quality destination relies on continued investment and innovation.”