Scotch Whisky Experience

Following a £3 million investment, the award-winning visitor attraction, The Scotch Whisky Experience, located on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, has introduced a groundbreaking immersive addition to the tour that delves deep into the heart of whisky-making. Designed and directed by Hatto + Partners, this transformative project aims to inform, delight, and connect visitors with Scotland’s whisky heritage through a seamless blend of design and technology, delivered through live and virtual storytelling in three new spaces: Origins, The Art of Making Whisky, and Maturation.

The new experience is an immersive journey that takes in the breathtaking scenes of Scotland’s glens and showcases the essential ingredients of whisky – water and barley. The Light Lab collaborated with Kate and Sam Lighting Designers to develop a unique integrated lighting installation, working in tandem with the immersive projection environment, bringing to life the story of how water and barley are forged in the wilds of the Scottish landscape.

The light installation flows seamlessly from one immersive scene to the next, capturing moments like the purple heathers blowing gently in the Scottish glens or a thunderous torrent of water flowing and filtering through the Scottish landscape, emerging in the lowlands to feed the golden barley fields ready for harvesting. The Light Lab achieved this by creating a parametric, wave-like design formed from clear acrylic rods, ‘Fronds,’ set at varying heights and finished with bespoke semi-translucent cast acrylic seedheads that acted as light diffusers. Each frond was individually lit with optically controlled LEDs on bespoke RGBW PCB, allowing the design and AV integration team to bring colours, movement, and flow from the video projectors into the space. The environment was further extended and enhanced by mirrors, creating an infinite space for visitors to experience.

Our team supplied and installed the plinth, fronds, and power supply/control interface enclosures, resulting in a stunning and immersive environment. This addition promises to elevate the overall visitor experience at The Scotch Whisky Experience, offering a captivating journey through the whisky-making process.