From the rugged coastlines of the Isle of Skye to the rolling vineyards of East Sussex, world-class drinks producers are opening up their distilleries and vineyards to share their history and craftsmanship with millions of visitors from across the globe.

These visitor centres are committed to ensuring their unique story is accessible to absolutely everyone. To achieve this, they are turning to innovative digital solutions that truly put the visitor at the heart of the experience.

Leading this revolution is ATS, whose latest collaboration with Scotland Brand Homes, encompassing the renowned Talisker, Blair Athol, and The Singleton distilleries, demonstrates a powerful commitment to inclusive tourism.

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Whisky tourism in Scotland draws a richly diverse international audience. However, relying solely on traditional, spoken English tours can present a significant barrier. Recognising this Scotland Brand Homes, have partnered with ATS to implement two key accessibility initiatives that ensure no visitor misses out on the world of Scotch Whisky.

1. Multilingual Audio Guides: A Global Welcome

To seamlessly welcome non-native English speakers, ATS developed professionally narrated audio guides in multiple major languages, including French, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, and Hindi.

These guides are delivered via handheld devices, allowing guests to absorb the rich history, intricate whisky-making process, and nuanced tasting notes in their native tongue while remaining perfectly in step with the rest of the tour group. This inclusive experience ensures that the global appeal of Scotch is matched by a global welcome at the distillery door.

2. British Sign Language (BSL) Tours

Accessibility extends beyond language. For deaf or hard of hearing visitors, the distilleries have introduced regular British Sign Language (BSL) tours. Working closely with deaf specialists, ATS and the distilleries ensured the tours fully met the needs of the community, incorporating visual enhancements and subtitles on screens where applicable. This proactive step has positioned these iconic distilleries as pioneers in accessible tourism within the competitive whisky industry.

By breaking down linguistic and communicative barriers, this initiative with Scotland Brand Homes is setting a new industry benchmark for inclusivity. It proves that a commitment to heritage can go hand-in-hand with a forward-thinking approach to the modern visitor.

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ATS’ commitment to enhancing visitor narratives extends beyond spirits and into the world of wine. For Ridgeview Wine Estate in Ditchling, East Sussex, the challenge was to allow visitors to explore the 11 acres of vines and natural beauty at their own pace, transforming a walk into a deeply personal, informative journey.

The solution was a custom-built, self-guided audio tour delivered via a user-friendly app, enabling visitors to use their own phones. The content, crafted through an on-site recording day with CEO Tamara Roberts, Director of Winemaking Simon Roberts, and Head of Viticulture Matt Strugnell, offers unique, expert insights into how this heritage vineyard evolves throughout each season.

This app-based approach provides flexibility and a modern digital touchpoint, allowing guests to fully immerse themselves in the estate's beauty while listening to the story of the Roberts family and the journey of their acclaimed English sparkling wine.

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The roots of ATS’ work in the beverage world trace back to a landmark project in June 2022: updating the multimedia guide for the globally famous Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.

Recognizing an opportunity to deepen visitor engagement, ATS worked collaboratively with the Storehouse departments to evolve the guide from a simple translation tool for overseas tourists into a vibrant, holistic storytelling experience.

The new multimedia guide significantly heightened the storytelling aspect, focusing on the site's rich history and the many stages of crafting a beautiful pint. Specialist interviews with team members provided engaging, behind-the-scenes content that was suitable for all visitors, tourists and locals alike, ensuring an enhanced and consistent experience for everyone.

The interface was meticulously designed for easy navigation across the vast site, featuring a clear map, intuitive numbering and short directional audio cues. Crucially, the tour, which culminates in the spectacular views from the Gravity Bar, is available in multiple languages, English, Irish Gaelic, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, and Portuguese, alongside International Sign Language. This project laid the groundwork, proving the power of digital tools to enhance storytelling, navigation, and accessibility on a truly grand scale.

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The successful implementation of multilingual and BSL tours at Scotland Brand Homes, the self-guided exploration at Ridgeview and the foundation-setting project at Guinness Storehouse all share a common thread: ATS’ deep understanding of how to put the visitor at the centre of the experience.

Whether you are a world-renowned distillery or a boutique vineyard, the modern visitor demands an experience that is both engaging and fully accessible. By utilising cutting-edge audio and multimedia solutions, ATS is helping partners in the drinks industry to:

• Boost Inclusivity: Welcoming global visitors and those with access needs.

• Deepen Engagement: Moving beyond static plaques to immersive, authentic storytelling.

• Enhance Site Navigation: Providing intuitive, on-device wayfinding across large, complex sites.

• Showcase Expertise: Delivering unique insights from the people who make the magic happen.

If you are a in the drinks industry with a visitor centre and are looking to create a memorable, inclusive and world-class experience for every person who steps through your doors, now is the time to embrace the power of digital heritage interpretation.

Get in touch for a chat today.