Speyside gets a luxury whisky resort: the restoration of the Coleburn distillery, wellness and gastronomy in Scotland

Speyside gets a luxury whisky resort: the restoration of the Coleburn distillery heralds a new era of whisky tourism in Scotland

Speyside, a Scottish region along the River Spey, has for decades been synonymous with single malt and one of the most visited whisky routes in the world. Now, in that “whisky core”, a step forward is being announced that could change the way visits to distilleries are experienced: at the site of the historic, decades-long inactive Coleburn distillery near Elgin, a project is being developed that industry media describe as the first luxury whisky resort in Speyside. The idea is not to build yet another larger “visitor centre”, but to create a destination that combines active production, top-tier hospitality, gastronomy, wellness, and education about the craft, with an emphasis on moderation and a culture of experience.

The location itself carries a strong symbolic charge. Coleburn is a distillery founded in 1897, and its original appearance is attributed to Charles Doig, an architect whose pagoda roofs became a recognizable element of Scottish distillery architecture. Production was halted in 1985, in a period when many distilleries were facing the consequences of a market downturn and restructuring. Today, according to investor announcements and industry reports, the plan is to bring back distillation and simultaneously develop a high-end tourism offering that sees Coleburn as a comprehensive base for a multi-day stay in Speyside.

From a “silent distillery” to a premium destination: what is planned at Coleburn

According to reports by specialized media and public announcements by the involved actors, the project is led by D&M Winchester Ltd, owned by brothers Dale and Mark Winchester. They bought the complex in 2004, and over the past two decades, it is stated, they have developed Victorian “dunnage” warehouses into a business related to bonding, storage, and cask management. This phase is important because it shows that the site did not “shut down” completely, but retained a logistical and industrial function connected to maturation and cask-related operations, which in Speyside has significant economic value.

Now that business foundation is being expanded into a tourism and hospitality complex. Announcements mention a five-star hotel, restaurants, a spa and gym, conference and event spaces, and even amenities that could make Coleburn a place for a multi-day stay rather than just a stop on the route. Such a strategy directly responds to the premium travel trend in which guests increasingly seek curated experiences, a focus on local suppliers, peace and nature, along with a “story” that has a credible foundation in heritage and craft.

It is also important how the concept is publicly defined. In the project’s communications, the emphasis is not on encouraging consumption, but on the experience: learning about raw materials and the process, understanding the influence of casks and time, pairing flavors through gastronomy, and staying in a landscape that is part of Speyside’s identity. In that framework, whisky functions as a cultural motif and an economic symbol of the region, not as an end in itself.

Timelines and phases: the goal is to start distillation by 2027, with a bistro as the first visitor touchpoint

Industry reports state that the “early phase” of development focuses on restoring the distillery and opening a bistro, while the broader resort project is realized gradually. A key goal is commissioning the distillery by 2027, with a projected annual capacity of about one million liters of pure alcohol. If such plans are realized, Coleburn would quickly position itself as an important new operation in Speyside, not only for its tourism ambition but also for its production capacity.

For the architectural and technical design, the studio Organic Architects has been engaged, known in the industry for designing distilleries with an emphasis on sustainability and functionality. In their public post about the project, they highlight the idea of returning distillation to a “lost” distillery and preserving one of Doig’s higher-quality executions in the country. In this way, at least according to available information, they are trying to avoid the typical trap of large tourism investments: that the historic site becomes mere scenery rather than an active part of local identity.

One detail that has already caught the whisky community’s eye is the plan to incorporate one of Doig’s historic pagoda elements into a penthouse apartment. Such a blend of heritage and luxury is cited by investors and media as an example of how the site’s historic identity will be carried into a contemporary offering, with experience elements that are often decisive in premium tourism.

• Location: the area between Elgin and Rothes (Speyside, Moray), among historic distillery buildings
• History: distillery founded in 1897, production halted in 1985, site later used for storage and cask management
• Investor and site owner: D&M Winchester Ltd (brothers Dale and Mark Winchester)
• Key personnel: Keith Cruickshank announced as master distiller and whisky lead
• Design: Organic Architects engaged on restoration plans and design
• Planned timeline: distillery start targeted by 2027; bistro cited as the first visitor phase

Keith Cruickshank and the “Benromach model”: why the choice of master distiller matters

According to specialized industry media, Keith Cruickshank, a long-serving master distiller from Benromach, is taking the helm of the distillery, having left that role after more than two decades in early 2025. In the whisky industry, such appointments are not just staffing news but also a signal of the project’s seriousness. Cruickshank’s experience carries extra weight because Benromach was also closed in the early 1980s and later successfully reactivated, often cited as a reference that “silent” distilleries can return to the market without losing identity if the project is backed by knowledge, patience, and a clear vision.

In investor announcements, the ambition to produce the highest-quality Scotch whisky, “rooted in authenticity” and built for the long term, is emphasized. This message aligns with premium guest expectations: less mass tourism, more expertise, transparency, and a sense that the guest is part of the process, even if through interpretation and education.

Legal and business layer: disputes over the name and the question of brand rights

Coleburn is not only a story about construction and tourism. In the background, there is a complex legal dynamic related to trademarks and rights to use the name. According to industry reports and publicly available documents from the United Kingdom, part of the premises entered a long-term lease in 2014 to Aceo Ltd, also known as the owner of the independent bottler Murray McDavid. Aceo operates on the site through the entity Coleburn Distillery Ltd, which, according to industry reports, has opened a series of disputes between the tenant and the site owner over names and trademarks.

In one publicly available UKIPO document related to opposition and revocation proceedings for trademarks, applications are also mentioned that include names involving “whisky resort” in the context of Coleburn. This shows that the destination concept around the distillery has been present for a longer time, but also that branding at this stage is as sensitive as the investment itself. Scottish Legal News, in its summary of the court proceedings, described the site owner’s appeal as largely unsuccessful, suggesting that trademark issues will need to be handled carefully, with a clear distinction between the tenant’s business and the property owner’s investment plans.

For audiences outside the industry, that layer may seem peripheral, but in practice it is crucial: a luxury resort sells not only accommodation but also a place’s identity. If the name and brand are not stable, marketing, investment in experiences, and long-term positioning of the destination become more difficult.

Why Speyside and why now: the economic logic of a “longer stay”

Speyside is already a strong tourism story. The concentration of distilleries in a relatively small area enables itineraries that combine multiple visits, and local communities are closely tied to distillation, maturation, and logistics. Precisely for that reason, industry analyses increasingly highlight the idea of moving from day trips to multi-day stays. In that model, spend per guest rises, seasonality is softened, and the destination gains arguments for business tourism through conferences and events.

Coleburn, according to available plans, targets guests who want “everything in one place”, but without a sense of isolation. Speyside offers natural and cultural attractions, and Coleburn is located so it can be a base for visiting other distilleries and sites, with a return to accommodation, gastronomy, and wellness. In the premium segment, that combination of “base” and “excursions” is often decisive: the guest pays for peace and service but wants options outside the resort, which in Speyside are not merely an add-on but part of the region’s identity.

What a whisky resort actually means: from tasting to education, from food to wellness

The whisky resort concept differs from a classic distillery visit by the breadth of offerings and the time the guest spends on site. In Coleburn’s announced model, key elements include an operating distillery, a space for interpreting the process, guided tours and workshops, and gastronomy conceived as pairing rather than a casual add-on. The bistro, mentioned as part of the first phase, is important because it enables visitor infrastructure even before larger accommodation capacities are completed, and it can function as an “entry point” for guests who come to Speyside without the intention of a multi-day stay.

The wellness segment is another sign that the project is aimed at contemporary luxury tourism. In that framework, whisky is part of the place’s identity, while spa, massages, walks, and time in nature are elements that balance the experience and steer it toward moderation. For a destination associated with alcohol, this is also reputationally important: the message is that here one learns and enjoys, not “crosses the line”.

• Education: masterclass workshops on water, barley, yeast, distillation, and the influence of casks on the flavor profile
• Gastronomy: a bistro and further restaurant capacity as part of a premium offering, with an emphasis on local ingredients
• Wellness: planned spa and recreational facilities that enable a more responsible rhythm of stay
• Heritage and architecture: preserving Doig’s legacy and repurposing historic warehouses
• Business tourism: conference and event facilities as a tool for year-round traffic

What the project could bring to the local community and where the risks are

Any major investment in a more rural part of Scotland raises questions about impacts on local infrastructure, traffic, housing, and property prices. Coleburn, according to announcements, could bring new jobs and additional tourist traffic to the wider Elgin area, but success will depend on how much the project remains rooted in the local economy and supply chains, and how much it develops offerings that do not “separate” guests from the region but encourage them to explore it.

Managing visitors will also be key. A premium resort can reduce mass-pressure if it deliberately works with smaller numbers of guests and an emphasis on quality, but it can also increase demand for services and resources at a micro-location. In Speyside, where smaller towns and roads are sensitive to seasonal peaks, such questions become part of a broader debate about sustainable tourism development.

A particular challenge is reputational: whisky tourism is sometimes mistakenly reduced in parts of the public to “drinking tourism”. That is precisely why investors and industry media insist on education, gastronomy, and wellness as the backbone. If Coleburn demonstrates in practice that it is possible to build a luxury destination around alcohol without encouraging excess, the project could become a reference example for other regions and also an argument that whisky heritage has a place in contemporary tourism that is increasingly measured by sustainability and quality of experience.

Broader trend of reactivating distilleries: Coleburn as part of the “return of lost plants”

Industry media place Coleburn in a broader wave of reviving previously closed distilleries, a trend that marks the 2020s. The reasons are twofold: growth in global demand for premium Scotch whisky, and the growing value of distilleries as destinations where industry, design, architecture, and tourism meet. In such a setting, a distillery becomes more than a plant: it is a stage for a story about place, and whisky itself becomes a “medium” through which water, climate, landscape, and time are interpreted.

If the planned timelines are realized, 2027 could be the year Coleburn ceases to be a “silent distillery” and becomes a new player in Speyside, with the ambition to attract guests who want more than a photo in front of a pagoda and a short tasting. If it succeeds, the question will not only be how many bottles one day come out under the name Coleburn, but also whether Speyside gains a tourism model in which whisky is viewed as cultural heritage and an economic story, not as a shortcut to an experience.

Sources:
- Whisky Advocate – report on the restoration of Coleburn, plans for a “whisky resort”, the bistro announcement, and the goal of commissioning the distillery by 2027. (link)
- The Spirits Business – news on the reopening of Coleburn Distillery and the appointment of Keith Cruickshank (link)
- UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) – PDF decision in a case related to names and services around the “whisky resort” Coleburn (link)
- Scottish Legal News – summary of the appeal proceedings and the trademark dispute between D&M Winchester and Coleburn Distillery Ltd (link)
- Organic Architects – post about involvement in the Coleburn reactivation project and the emphasis on restoring Doig’s architecture (link)
- Scottish Financial News – overview of the Coleburn restoration project and timelines as part of a broader Speyside tourism and economic story (link)