From the Highlands to the Lowlands, and across the Islands, each year these world-class attractions welcome millions of guests from across the globe to immerse themselves in the world of Scotch, meet the craftspeople behind the iconic liquids and discover the magic of Scotland.
Whisky tourism in Scotland attracts a diverse range of visitors from around the world. To ensure inclusivity and accessibility, Diageo’s distilleries—Talisker (Isle of Skye), Blair Athol (Pitlochry), and The Singleton (Glen Ord)—have taken proactive steps to accommodate non-native English speakers and deaf or hard of hearing visitors.
Challenge
Traditional distillery tours often rely heavily on spoken English, which can be a barrier for:
• International visitors with limited English proficiency.
• Deaf and hard of hearing individuals who require visual or signed communication.
The distilleries implemented two key accessibility initiatives:
1. Multilingual Audio Guides
• Development: Professionally narrated audio guides were created in multiple languages including French, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, and Hindi.
• Content: The guides cover the history of the distillery, the whisky-making process, and tasting notes.
• Delivery: Visitors can access the guides via handheld devices during the tour, offering an inclusive experience, as all visitors tour the site at the same pace.
2. British Sign Language (BSL) Tours
• Offer: Regular BSL tours are now provided.
• Visual Enhancements: Tours include visual aids and subtitles on screens where applicable.
• Community Engagement: Collaboration with deaf specialists ensured the tours met the needs of the community.
"Working with Alice and Sian was a great experience. The process went smoothly, and even when we felt a bit lost at times, their knowledge and support helped us understand things in a new and clearer way."
