 The final item of business is members' business debate on motion 1043 in the name of Rachel Hamilton on Scotch whisky contribution to Scottish tourism industry. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put and I would ask those members who wish to speak in the debate to press the request to speak buttons. I call on Rachel Hamilton to open the debate for around seven minutes, please. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It is a pleasure to rise to my feet today to praise and highlight the great work of the Scottish whisky industry and the boost for tourism it provides. All over the world, Scotland is known for its national drink from New York to Tokyo to Sydney. Scottish whisky is bought and sold in restaurants, bars and shops. According to the Scotch whisky Association, 39 bottles are exported every second and it accounts for 80 per cent and 20 per cent of all Scottish and British food and drink exports respectively. Deputy Presiding Officer, on a recent trip to Brussels, I reminded Michelle Barnier that the French consume more Scotch whisky than they do cognac, to which he replied that he was partial to the stuff himself. We are quite rightfully proud to be able to sit down in almost any establishment in the world and peruse a list of countless whiskeys, many of which are only produced a matter of miles from our own front doors. I am proud to tell fellow members here today that this will soon be the case for me as well in my constituency of Ettrick Rocksman Berwickshire. For the first time since 1837, more commonly known as the year Queen Victoria aceded to the throne, whisky will be produced in the Scottish Borders by the three stills company who are currently putting the finishing touches to their distillery in Hoyke. The Borders has a proud history of food and drink and I look forward to the future growth of this sector, which will shortly include a whisky distillery. It is a pleasure to welcome their representatives and many other whisky companies to the Scottish Parliament today. Deputy Presiding Officer, nothing excites my staff more than having a day dedicated to whisky. Of course, like many other distilleries across Scotland, the three stills will look to capitalise on the growing tourism boost seen in the whisky industry and the tourism sector as a whole. World famous brands bring with them global reaching interest and it's great to see tourists from across the world being drawn to visit a world-leading industry at work and, of course, to try a few dramas along the way. I'd like to pay tribute to all who have played their part in this achievement from tour guides to tour operators as part of a wider Scottish success story. Members will be aware that in 2016 1.7 million people visited a whisky distillery in Scotland. This is up a quarter since 2010 and no doubt this will grow even more in 2017 with the boom in the number of international visitors to Scotland. The draw of Outlander has undoubtedly played a part in attracting tourists, as well as the creative and tailor-made North Coast 500 whisky heritage discovery tour, showcasing the best of what the Highlands region has to offer. By the very nature of our whisky making, many of the jobs that the industry provides are located in rural areas. Around 70 per cent of those directly employed by whisky companies live in those areas. That means better career opportunities for young people, allowing them to stay where they grew up and contribute to their local communities. As whisky tourism grows, the need for more jobs will, too. I hope that this goes some way in ensuring that the balance of the Scottish economy is not further weighted towards our main cities and urban areas. Tourism skills should become a priority for us all as brand Scotland and brand Great Britain become ever more popular around the world. Only yesterday, I held a tourism event for 150 esfil pupils from across the borders, alongside developing young workforce and borders college and lots of local businesses, to highlight the massive opportunities that tourism presents from brewing to distilling to becoming a tour guide. Whisky, whether it is exporting products or importing tourists, will be of great value as the United Kingdom embarks on a new chapter in its global ambitions. It was great to see the Prime Minister alongside the CEO of the Scottish Whisky Association, Karen Betts, secure a 10-year renewal of the Scotch whisky trademark in China just a few weeks ago. Currently, 25 bottles are exported to China every minute, and it is right that we see our great brand being protected, paving the way for even more sales in the future as the Chinese taste for luxury British, Scottish and European products increases. Another compelling reason for the Edinburgh-China airlink project is that I am sure that we can all agree well overdue. That will make it even easier for Chinese tourists to come and see our fantastic distillery tours. Recent figures show the USA continuing to be our biggest export market in terms of value, and that looks set to continue as their appreciation of single malts grow. We are all very aware of the importance of American tourists to Scotland, whether it be for whisky or otherwise, and I hope that that continues for many years to come. Of course, it is worth noting that not all of these visitors to our distilleries are from overseas. Yes, many of our main export markets like China and the USA are significant sources of whisky tourism, but Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom are too. Let me also remind members that not all whisky tourism visits are too distilleries. In my previous role as an MSP for South of Scotland, I had the pleasure of enjoying the whisky experience at the Glenkinchie distillery in East Lothian, as well as a historic timeline tour. Customers are educated on how to enjoy and taste whisky, which I certainly enjoyed. Glenkinchie also takes its commitment to the environment very seriously and has created wildlife walks among the cooling ponds in the ground. Deputy Presiding Officer, it is a pleasure to bring the attention of the Parliament to our thriving whisky tourism industry. We are all very aware here, and I am sure in the HM Treasury in London, the importance of the Scotch whisky brand. The importance that tourism brings is valued as a consequence. That will be even more important in the coming years as we strike new trade deals, perhaps better suited to the UK industries across the globe, as well as with the EU. Ensuring a global Scotland, a global Britain and a global Scotch whisky industry. Thank you. We now move to the open debate. The speeches have up to four minutes, please. Richard Lochhead, followed by Alison Harris. Thank you, and I congratulate Rachel Hamilton on bringing forward this debate so that we can celebrate the Scotch whisky industry and everything that contributes towards Scotland. I expect that it will all be in the mood for a dram after I have listened to all the various speeches in who I am already. Scotch whisky, of course, is a global and a Scottish phenomenon and is the most successful food or drink export from Scotland and indeed the whole of the UK as well. Of course, it sustains tens of thousands of jobs throughout Scotland and particularly in more rural areas of the country as well. It is very important to recognise that the economic contribution is not just the manufacturing, it is also the fact that it invites many people to visit our country, to visit the distilleries and the visitor centres and to see where the whisky is produced. It is a phenomenal success story and we really should make as much as possible of the fact that the whisky has contributed so much to the Scottish brand around the world. If you go around the world and people associate Scotland with quality and products that you can trust, a uniqueness and, of course, a fantastic landscapes, Scotch whisky has opened the door for other products throughout the whole of the world and that is why it is of so much importance to the country. The fact that, as the Scotch whisky Association briefing says that there are 30 new distilleries in the pipeline or that are being planned at the moment or even built, that is a sign of fantastic confidence in the sector at the moment as well. I know in my constituency of Spaceide where 50 per cent of Scotch is produced and I am lucky enough to represent something like 45 to 50 distilleries that we have seen a number of distilleries either being built in the last few years, new ones on top of the enormous number that we already have or, of course, expanding some of the bigger distilleries in Spaceide have expanded even more in the last few years or are being expanded at the moment. Glen Livett, McAllum, of course, and so many of our distilleries. If you look at what is happening with McAllum, with the over £100 million investment in building a new distillery, Craig Ellicke, the new McAllum distillery, that is going to be a visitor attraction in its own right and, of course, the architects there are world famous and they reckon that it is going to double the number of visitors that are going to visit the new McAllum distillery compared to the old one as well. It is an industry in Spaceide and throughout the whole of the country that is going from strength to strength. We also have other areas that are not just, as Rachael Hamilton says, people visiting the distilleries. In Spaceide we have the Keith and Dufton railway with, at one end of the railway line, the Pitcher-esque Storthyla distillery, which many people visit. At the other end of that railway line, the Heritage Railway, we have the Glenfiddirk distillery, which is also a major tourist attraction in its own right and a very successful Scotch whisky. There are talks at the moment about how we can expand the railway line and attract even more visitors to Scotland to travel the whisky line in Spaceide. I do want to make the point that the whisky is not just about the magic of the malted barley, the spring water and the yeast and the casks and the colour and the nose, it is also about the folklore and its place in Scottish history as well. That is why I very much welcome the efforts just now to recognise the role of smuggling in Spaceide in the 16th and 17th and 18th century, which of course formed a bedrock of the Scotch whisky industry that we have today. George Smith himself, the founder of Glenlivet distillery, was a smuggler before he opened the first licensed distillery in Spaceide in 1824. That folklore is very important and can play a huge role in attracting even more tourists to Spaceide and other parts of Scotland. The Cabrach Trust just now is talking about building a new historic distillery in the Cabrach, where there were many illicit distills over the centuries and also a heritage centre at the same time to tell more of the story of the role of the Cabrach in illicit distilling as well. The reckon that between Glenrinus, Glenlivet and the Cabrach, there were 400 illicit distills in the 16th and 17th centuries. Of course, as I said before, that is the bedrock of the Scotch whisky industry that we have today. I hope that the distilleries, the whisky companies, the local communities can get together and celebrate more of the place and history, the social history, the economic history as well to invite more people. In closing, I think that there is much more that can be done to attract whisky tourists to Scotland. I hope that the companies can work closer together with local authorities, with Visit Scotland and the Scottish Government. I hope that the minister will give some thought about how that can be achieved in the next few years. Provided, of course, we get through Brexit and maintain the protection that is there for Scotch whisky at the moment, which is a very important political priority for the Scottish Government as well. Alison Harris, followed by Stuart Stevenson. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful country that, despite our somewhat unpredictable weather, draws people from all over the world to enjoy the scenery, history and culture that Scotland offers. Since the time that the writings of Sir Walter Scott and the artists of the early Victorian era first attracted English tourists to Scotland, an added attraction has been that Scotland is the home of the world's finest whiskeys. Through the decades, Scotch whisky and its links to the economic benefits that tourism brings has grown and grown. More than half of Scotland's distilleries now welcome visitors with these numbers achieving, as we have already heard, up to 1.7 million visitors in 2016. You could say that this means that Scotch whisky distilleries rank among many well-known UK attractions, including the Scottish National Gallery and St Paul's Cathedral. In financial terms, visitors spend at distilleries was almost £53 million. The popularity of Scotch whisky continues to take the name and reputation of Scotland to the four corners of the globe. Whilst people from the rest of the UK are vital to Scottish tourism, the largest proportion of visitors come from Germany, France and the United States. With the United States and France being two of the largest markets by value for Scotch, Scotch exports to many other mature and emerging markets has increased, and there has been a marked return to growth in China and exports to Japan. Such is the popularity of whisky. Around 20 per cent of tourists now include a distillery visit whilst in Scotland. There are around some 30 new distilleries either planned or recently built in Scotland, and for many new build distilleries, a state-of-the-art visitor centre is front and centre of their plans. Visitors are spending more than ever before at distilleries, and the average spend is recorded as £31 per person. Whilst distilleries are undoubtedly concentrated in certain regions of the country, such as Highland, Speyside, Island, Campotown, and do much to boost the economies of these areas, let me highlight that there are also lowland distilleries such as Glingon and Glynkinchie, and later this year a new distillery will also open in my own region. It has been many years since the residents of Falkirk lost the distillery that produces Rosebank, known as the King of Lowland Mawls, so I know many constituents are looking forward to the Falkirk distillery opening again near Polmont. It will recognise the importance of attracting visitors by offering as well as the whisky experience, retail and restaurant facilities. In close proximity to attractions such as Outlander, Blackness Castle, Calender House, the Kelpies and the Falkirk wheel, the distillery and visitor centre will be seeking to attract up to 75,000 visitors per year. Lowland Mawls are known for their multi-zesty flavours with slightly fruity, citrusy and sometimes floral notes, and I'm sure that with a description like that the new Falkirk distillery is certain to add to the tourist attractions that already exist in the Falkirk council area. Deputy Presiding Officer, it is difficult to overestimate the contribution that whisky plays to the Scottish tourism industry, and it's difficult to overestimate the potential that still exists for growth in this sector. But as many distilleries open their doors and improve and expand their offering, I am confident that this is one industry that can look forward to a bright and glowing future. Slanjavar, as they say. Stewart Stevenson, followed by Colin Smyth. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Let me add my thanks to Rachel Hamilton for creating the opportunity to talk about the wonderful Scottish product that is whisky. I would say to her that between 1837 and now in her parliamentary constituency it is almost impossible to imagine that there was not an informal production of whisky as there was right across Scotland. Indeed, my father as a GP in Fife used to get the occasional informal bottle from one of his patients in the 1950s and 60s. I have with me at the moment an intern, Chase, who is from the United States, and he tells me there are three questions that he received prior to departing on his visit to Scotland. Would he be buying a kilt? Would he be trying haggis? And how many whisky tours would he be tagging along for? Thus far he's no budget for a kilt. He's yet to try a haggis, but he's only been a one tour, so he's a lot still to do. That's just a testament to how much is known about whisky, how important it is as a symbol, as an emblem of Scotland as Scottish tourism. Why does it account for such a large proportion of all our food and drinks exports? It's a diversity, I suggest. We've whisky for every possible occasion in pallet, with or without food. I have a pal who shared a very tiny portion of whisky out of a bottle that cost £1,000. I'm not going to be buying that myself, and I noticed the care with which he resealed the bottle to make sure there was no escape. There is a little bit of magic in every bottle of whisky. There is a bit of a gender issue around whisky. It's predominantly thought of as being a male drink, I have to say. Therefore, I welcome that, yesterday, Johnny Walker's produced a new bottle of whisky called the Jane Walker, which has, instead of the man in the top pat, et cetera, et cetera, it is a young lady on the label of the Jane Walker whisky. I would say that this has not necessarily gone down terribly well. The Washington Post yesterday, when the Duke has written quite a long and amusing article, and at the end she says, this is meant to be satire. If this is going to succeed, I think possibly we need to be a little more cautious in the way we proceed with it. We know that there are huge numbers of people who visit distilleries. My constituency has four, and I hope to get chased up to visit some of them to multiply his one visit to a distillery. One of the distilleries that I know about is the Isle of Arran distillery. I had over 100,000 visitors in 2017. The numbers keep going up. I think that most distillers have found it useful to have visitor centres. For increasing knowledge of whisky, letting people see the skills and the location, let them see the setting that there is for this wonderful drink that goes across the world. Of course, I often make personal references in my speech, so I cannot let pass my father's cousin, James Stevenson, a letter Lord Stevenson, who was the managing director of Johnnie Walker, when the current symbol that is on the bottles of Johnnie Walker was introduced. Indeed, he was responsible for the 1915 Immature Spirits Act in part of Lloyd George's Government, which meant that whisky was kept in bond for three years, which improved the quality and the marketability of whisky. He was also responsible for the fact that the English got a football stadium when he was responsible for it. Presiding Officer. I'm sort of stunned. Colin Smyth, to be followed by Sandra White. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. As you always say, after Stuart Stevenson, it's a difficult act to follow. I thank Rachel Hamilton for tabling today's motion, which has provided us with the opportunity to celebrate the significant contribution that whisky makes to Scottish tourism. I'm particularly delighted that the motion comes from a fellow South Scotland MSP. It's all part of our long-term plan for the south of Scotland to take over from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland's whisky capital. Joking aside, the Lowlands, where we have Scotland's most accessible distilleries, has always played an important role in Scotland's whisky heritage. After a decline in lowland distilleries in the 18th and 19th century, that contribution has grown once again, and not just in the production of traditional lowland light and peated whiskeys. Rachel Hamilton highlighted the exciting plans in Huyg where the three-stills company are constructing the Scottish border's first whisky distillery since 1837, or should I say, the first legal distillery since 1837 after listening to Stuart Stevenson. I'd like to take members on a lowland whisky trail slightly further west or into my home region of Dumfries and Galloway, a region where tourism is crucial to the local economy, attracting £300 million a year in visitor spend and supporting over 7,000 local jobs. It's an inspiring region whose unique towns and villages unspoil beauty truly contrast in landscapes and mesmerising history offers visitors so much. We have an abundance of rare wildlife that are stirring forests, fantastic sandy beaches along our coastline, and we have some of the clearest skies in Europe to gaze up to from the dark skies park in Galloway. We can also boast the highest village in Britain in one look head, the Food Town, Castle Douglas, the artist town of Cwbrys, Scotland's national book town, Wigtown, the marriage capital, Greta and the Green, and of course the football capital of the world, Palmerston Park, where Queen of the South plays. Maybe not the final one, but whether you're into ice cream, mountain biking through a forest, the Magic Wires, the Omfisin Galloway, has a wonderful growing tapestry of visitor attractions, and I'm delighted to say it now includes Scotland's first whisky distillery when you cross the border, Annandale distillery. Presiding Officer, the rebirth of Annandale distillery is a wonderful story that deserves to be shared. Originally to establish in 1836, its doors were closed by then owners Johnnie Walker in 1918, seemingly forever. That's until Professor David Thompson and his wife Theresa Church happened across distillery when walking in the Anandale countryside. Fascinated by the history and potential of the distillery, David and Theresa rescued the ruins in 2007. After a significant investment of nearly 11 million pounds, the distillery sprang back into life on 3 November 2014, complete with visitors' shop and cafe. I had the pleasure of meeting David and Theresa for the first time around five years ago when I was chair of Dumfries and Galloway Council's economic committee and the council was supporting the rebath of the distillery, recognising the huge contribution that it could make to the local economy. Since then, I have followed the fascinating story of Anandale closely, such as the careful development of the distinctive Anandale logo, which is a ship sale paying tribute to Anand's rich maritime history and shipbuilding heritage. On 15 November last year, I had the pleasure of attending the breaching of the first barrel at the restored Anandale, and I can tell members that the 99-year wait since Johnny Walker closed the doors was very much worth it. There are two whiskeys being distilled at Anandale, whose names are derived from two famous robbers. There are Manow words, the smoky peated whisky named after the seventh arrow of Anandale, Robert the Bruce. There are also the mellow fruity and peated Manow words that celebrate Scotland's national bar and local hero Robert Burns, who famously penned the deals awar with the excise mine while lodging in Anand. Indeed, given that Anandale was probably an illegal distillery at the time that Burns was a local excise mine, Professor Thomson speculates when he is conducting his owner's tours that Burns may well have visited his distillery. Of course, there is no guarantee that he did, but it is a cracking story nonetheless. That is what makes Anandale distillery the perfect example of why distillery visits are so popular. They are all distinctive, each with their own fascinating history and stories. They often display stunning craftsmanship. In the case of Anandale, it has been painstakingly restored, with many unique features crafted locally to the highest standards, blending tradition with the demands of a modern distillery. It is little wonder that Anandale distillery today is attracting visitors from right across the world, including from Anandale in Virginia, making a major contribution to the local economy of a relatively small rural town and a highly competitive tourism market. Anandale joins Dumfries and Galloway's other distillery, Blad Nock, whose history dates back to 1817 and, after a recent period of closure, is once again producing whisky and undergoing significant investment to soon reopen to visitors. Together, Anandale and Blad Nock continue to find tradition of producing delightful traditional whiskeys on the lowlands, and I would highly recommend both to all members. I have Sandra White, followed by Bruce Crawford. I thank Rachael Hamilton for securing this debate. It is a very important debate, certainly in regard to the uniqueness of whisky and what it means to Scotland exports as well, but it is not just whisky. People come for the experience, and that is part of it. When I go home tonight, I will get me hot toaddy, and that might help my cold to be part of that as well. I wanted to be in this debate because people have mentioned whisky in various areas. I am going to give a history lesson once I have mentioned the fact about my own experience of clayside distillery, which we now have in Glasgow. Basically, it is a £10.5 million project in the iconic pump house in Glasgow, between the Riverside Museum and the Hydro Arena. I am very proud of the fact that Tim Morrison and his family got together, recognised it and built that there. It opened just before Christmas 2017. I have the pleasure of being down there, a visitor centre, 25 employees at the moment, more employees advertise, there is a great video display telling you all about the experiences, and the reason why I want to talk about the history is that Tim Morrison's great-grandfather built the pump house in 1877. It is a coming home for Mr Morrison and his family, who built it in this iconic site. However, it is not just about that. People talk about whisky, but Glasgow has a fantastic history of having distillers in Glasgow on the clayside, and, with the boats coming in, the exports came in and they would export the whisky out. However, I just want to give you a wee bit of history of why you must thank Glasgow for the fact that whisky is actually here in Scotland as well. I do not want to be political about it, but it does start away back in 1707, when the Glaswegians in England and Scotland were not very happy, and, to stop any riots in the streets, they were not allowed to gather more than three people in the streets, and they were very incensed about various bits and pieces. The rioting actually started when the British Government decided to start the collection of the first malt tax in 1725, and that is when it started to riot. I will try to cut it as short as I possibly can. The roadside obviously opposed the tax, and it attacked the property of Daniel Campbell of Shawfield. It attacked the rioting, the plummetage in his house, the Glasgow Street and Tronggate between there, and it caused a lot of damage, et cetera, costs too. Basically, in the end, some were in jail, some were not, but Glasgow had to pay Daniel Campbell of Shawfield, some of £6,080, in compensation for the damage that was done. He sold the house off, and he moved to the islands of Islay and Dura. Because it was his private connection basically there, he looked at the more whisky production that was coming to the fore and decided to introduce new crops such as barley. Because he owned these islands, nobody visited them to ask them for tax. He started up the whisky area in Islay and Dura. That became known as Bowmore was the first planning village to be created, and it was created in 1760. From there came the Bowmore distillery, as we know it just now. That was a continuation of that. It seems right that Scotland's national drink, with an industry that employs 10,000 people directly and another 30,000 indirectly, can trace part of its growth back to the bubbling sense of injustice of Glaswegians. The right stands for the most Glaswegians of desires, both to chart our own path and our destiny as a city and to enjoy a few wee swallies without being sold up the river. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I thank many thanks and congratulations to Rachel Hamilton for bringing in this fantastic debate to the chamber. Members will know that I seize every opportunity that I can to talk about the magnificent stilling constituency that I represent. It is a hugely attractive area for all-year-round visitors due to our unsurpassed historical heritage and spectacular natural settings. However, the stilling area is also home to the creation of some wonderful whiskeys, with excellent events and attractions for locals and visitors alike to enjoy. Our first stop on the stilling whisky tour is Deanston distillery. Operating as a cotton mill into the 20th century housed the largest waterwheel in Europe at the time, which is used to power the machinery of the spinning mill and weaving shed, and hydrous power still to this day, which is much of the energy that the distillery needs. However, following the decline of that cotton industry, Deanston mill closed its doors in 1965, but all was not lost. The mill was converted into a distillery, and the first-ever bottle of Deanston Highland single malt, which is very creamy indeed, was produced in 1974. In 2012, I was privileged to attend the official opening of the magnificent new Deanston distillery visitor centre. That opening signalled the beginning of a new area for the old mill, not just as a popular producer of whisky but as a popular tourist destination in its own right. Deanston's unique story is carried across the globe. Whisky lovers can share in the experience of its production at its highly recommendable facility. Stilling constituency is also home to the incomparable Glenn Goyne distillery, located at Burnford Farham. Glenn Goyne distillery operates in the area where George Connell began secretly distilling out of the site of the excisement and probably supplying half of Glasgow of Sandra's right at the same time. As an aside, in 1899, the distillery manager Cochran Cartwright, what a wonderful name, drowned in the distillery having sampled much of the distillery's product or so it is alleged. In 1903, Glenn Goyne of Burnford changed its name to Glenn Goyne distillery, and the 20th century store production boom as the local product gained increasing international appeal. The distillery's building and its remarkable setting is a must-see less than 40 minutes from Glasgow. It is often dubbed as Scotland's most beautiful distillery. The two distilleries, Deanston and Glenn Goyne, I can passionately testify, produce outstanding whisky and also provide superb visitor attractions in the stilling area. Perhaps we can't compete with Richard Lochhead in space aid in terms of the numbers of the distilleries, but I'm sure that we can compete as far as quality is concerned. Stirling's area relationship with the water of life has inspired the Stirling whisky festival, which is returning for its seventh year in a row, and now in the Stirling Highland hotel, right in the centre of the town. This and right in the centre of the old town, this festival has been a hugely popular helping to support many tourism-related businesses that Stirling has to offer with increased footfall into the city, which appears to be on the up. Last year's visitor figures show that Stirling Castle had an 18 per cent increase, based on figures from 2016. 78 per cent more people visited the Battle of Bannockburn visitor centre and the Smith Museum and Gallery 2 also saw increased visitor footfall. To conclude, it's clear that the Stirling area has much to offer in terms of tourism and visitor activities. However, showcasing our proud whisky heritage is an excellent opportunity not just to promote our local whisky products but to support local businesses such as those in the hospitality industry who rely on the footfall for visitors and tourists alike. Again, I congratulate Rachel Hamilton for getting the debate tonight in Parliament. The last of the open debate contributions is from Gordon MacDonald. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and thanks to Rachel Hamilton for securing this debate. As a whisky drinker with over 60 bottles of malt at home, I can confirm to Stuart Stevenson that there is indeed a little bit of magic in every bottle. Whisky tourism is one of the success stories of 21st century Scotland. There are 99 million cases of whisky exported each year. If every bottle was laid end to end, the bottles would stretch from this Parliament to New York six times over. Visitors to distilleries come from some of the largest markets for whisky, mainly Germany, Scotland, the USA, France and from other parts of the UK. The Scottish whisky industry through the establishment of the Scottish whisky research institute in my constituency some 40 years ago aims to safeguard consumer confidence in Scottish whisky and, as a result, will protect whisky tourism. Researchers carried out by the institute to ensure flavour, quality, consumer safety and authenticity is maintained to protect Scotland's whisky as a premium global brand. One of the first key achievements of the research institute was the establishment of the compositional database to protect Scottish whisky from counterfeiting. At any moment in time, there can be around 70 court cases being fought and hundreds of investigations in order to protect the industry against fakes. Yet, the industry allows whisky to be exported in bulk, where it can be blended with other whisky, locally branded and then competes with its own whisky, or that same local whisky can be deliberately labelled wrongly and sold as Scotch whisky at a premium price but as a counterfeit product. Blended whisky accounts for 70 per cent by value and 90 per cent by volume of all whisky exported. Malt whisky accounts for only 9 per cent by volume and 24 per cent by value, yet it is only the premium product Malt whisky under the UK Scotch whisky regulations 2009 that requires it to be bottled in the country of origin. At the time of the regulations being passed requiring that Malt whisky be bottled in Scotland, the Scotch whisky association stated and I quote, Exports of Scotch whisky in bulk has led to adulteration and contamination when it is bottled abroad. This risks damaging the reputation of Scotch whisky and leaves consumers vulnerable to counterfeit products, which could also have public health implications. So, given the number of on-going cases and investigations into counterfeit whisky, is not it time that this subject was reexamined? After all, Spain insists that Rioja wine is bottled before export and France's similar regulations in place for cognac. My SNP colleague at Westminster Martin Docherty Hughes submitted an early day motion in December supporting Unite Union campaign Save Our Scotch. In recent years, there have been the closures of Portland Dacin and Kilmarnock, plus concerns raised by the union regarding leaving and shield hall. Since 1980, 12,000 directly employed jobs in whisky have been lost in Scotland. Jobs are still under a threat at the time when the SWA estimates that Scotland is home to more than 20 million casts of mature in whisky. That is almost four for every person living here. The concerns are not just about outsourcing of whisky but about other white spirits that are currently bottled in Scotland and the potential impact that this could have on the supply chain, including bottling plants, labelling and packaging manufacturers, warehousing and distribution. Each year, 1.7 billion is spent on the whisky supply chain, but not all that is spent in Scotland. It is estimated that more than 340 million is spent elsewhere to our detriment. We know that Scotch whisky must be produced in Scotland, made from mostly malted barley and aged in oak barrels for three years or more. However, most of the jobs associated with the industry are not in distilling but in bottling and throughout the supply chain, which we must ensure remains in Scotland. I will leave you with this thought. Back in 1979, the Scottish Council of Development and Industry in a discussion paper should Scotland export bulk whisky concluded, and I quote, Scotland would economically benefit in the long term if the bulk export of all whisky was banned. Given the industry's importance to Scotland and tourism, then is it not time that the issue was reexamined? I now call Fiona Hyslop to respond to the debate for around seven minutes, please. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I thank Rachael Hamilton for securing the debate and for her speech. She makes the point about the French consuming more whisky than cognac, and that is just in one month compared to cognac for a whole year. I thank all the members who have contributed to what has been a very interesting debate on Scotland's national drink. We heard from Richard Lochhead, who has been and continues to be a great champion of whisky. An important point that he made was how whisky opens the doors to other products as well in terms of exports. He also spoke of the current sheer dynamism of this sector. Colin Smyth referred to the mission trip of the south of Scotland, but I was also very pleased to hear about the Annandale distillery as well. Stuart Stevenson introduced us to Jane Walker. There are not many constituencies across Scotland that do not have some link to the Scottish whisky industry in some form or another. Indeed, I recall being served as St Magdalyn whisky from Llynsgol in my constituency when I visited the Pixar studios in Los Angeles on a Government visit. The extensive reach of whisky demonstrates the foundations that this fantastic industry has across Scotland and its importance to the economy, people and the communities of our land. Alison Harris mentioned the opening of the Rosebank distillery, which sits on the edge of my constituency but is in the central region. Many of the distilleries lie in the heart of our rural and island communities right across Scotland, from the Highlands and Islands to our lowlands. The role of those businesses and the jobs that they provide cannot be understated in supporting communities in remote areas. Today, we can celebrate another success story in the lowlands through the three stills company who are investing £10 million into their distillery and visitor centre and are the subject of the motion that Rachel Hamilton has brought to us today. Together with the planned £40 million Mossburn distillery near Jedbra, that will open up the borders to new tourism opportunities. Those investments will provide firm foundations for the success and future years of our iconic Scotch whisky. The whisky sector is continuously building upon its success and its brands are increasingly recognised internationally and its distilleries are a must-see destination for our tourists. The Scottish Whisky Association's latest annual survey found that visits have increased by around a quarter since 2010 and more than half of Scotland's 123 distilleries now welcome members of the public. Examples of that success are places such as the Tomatin Distillery Visitor Centre near Inverness, which experienced its most successful year in 2017, with visitors exceeding £49,000 and, for the first time, record sales of £1 million. According to Diagio, its 12-malt distilleries have seen a 96 per cent rise in visitor numbers over the past five years. Interestingly, 43 per cent of German visitors—that is our second biggest overseas market for tourists—visited a distillery on their visit, compared with the visitor average of 20 per cent. Collectively, Scotch whisky distilleries rank among some of the most popular Scottish and UK attractions that visitors step into a distillery. The passion, the knowledge and the enthusiasm of those who work there is evidence from the outset with quality presentation and exhibitions. The visitor sees the striking contrast of traditional whisky making, combined with modern technology, high-quality attractions and gift shops, but the timeless and unmistakable smells nod today's gone by, giving tourists an evocative sense of Scotland's rich heritage. Every distillery has its own heritage and its own story. That important point about the folklore and the heritage is very important indeed. I visited Daila and I visited a number of distilleries, and every single one of those distilleries had its own story. The social, economic and cultural heritage must not be underestimated. Richard Lockhead referred to space-side smuggling, so there are different aspects to those stories. When the visitor visits, they then walk into the cold, dark, rackhouse, visitors are stepping back in time. The muffling silence and the years of dust on the barrels emphasise the rich and historic tradition that we have here in Scotland. It is difficult for anyone not to feel a sense of awe when surrounded by the work of previous generation that is yet to be enjoyed and then, of course, there is the taste. That is why it is easy to see why a total of £53 million was spent on whisky by visitors in 2016, and that average spend per person has increased from £13 per cent to £31 from £27. Indeed, the high standards that those attractions offer are more than able to be illustrated by the open distillery winning the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions' Best Visitor Experience Award in 2017, and that was against very stiff competition. Of course, there are new developments, and Sandra White, in a fascinating speech, told us about the Clyde-side distillery and great opportunities there for Glasgow to tell their story and what is the distinct story that it is indeed. I am sure that the cabinet secretary would want to let my good friend Sandra White get away with the claim that Glasgow 1707 was a birthplace of Scotch whisky. As we note today, given the reference in the fantastic boot Scotland's secret history, the illicit distilling and smuggling whisky by Charles McLean and Daniel McArno, edited by Mark Ellington, says that, as late as the end of the reign of James The Sixth and First, who died in 1625, whisky, as we know, was made in the Highlands only. Fiona Hyslif. Perhaps I may leave it to the Presiding Officer's due responsibilities to decide. Indeed, there are many contested things in the world about whisky, but I cannot contest the role of space-side and the Highlands in the history of the development of Scotch whisky. The importance to tourism is evident, but there is more that we can do to help to promote whisky trails, local marketing, hospitality opportunities. We see that already happening with the North Coast 500 and there is more that can be done. Of course, whisky festivals are referred to by Bruce Crawford. We see that in Stirling, in Spaceide and Islay, and they are all growing in interests. However, there are challenges that we are facing, and leaving the EU will be one of them. Of course, many decilers rely on EU nationals not least to understand the different EU markets and also for their language skills. I visited Deanston decilery, referred to by Bruce Crawford on the banks of the River Teeth. I heard first hand about the impact of Brexit on the tourism sector and all the senior staff I met there were from EU countries, people who had come to live and work here and were committed to delivering a fantastic visitor experience. As I bring my remarks to a close, we cannot rest on our laurels. We want to drive forward our tourism sector. We want to make sure that we can promote the combination of food and drink and tourism. The strategy that has been developed with the Ambition 2030 food and drink is reaching out on tourism. Similarly, in terms of my responsibilities, I can inform the chamber that the first national food tourism strategy is being developed to take forward those links between the food and drink and tourism sectors. There are challenges. Gordon Macdonald is right to make an important point about integrity and reputation of the products that we are promoting internationally. It is very important that we recognise the interdependence between food tourism Scotland's reputation and the hospitality sector, but integrity of experience and integrity of product is very much at the heart of that. Skills will be an important development. I am very pleased to hear that Rachel Hamilton talked about the event that took place in the boarders, because we must all take responsibility to encourage more youngsters, particularly and others, into the area. With more than 30 new facilities being planned over the next five years from the boarders to the highlands across our islands, tourism can work with whisky and whisky with tourism to help to promote our fantastic product. I again make sure that that unique, absolutely unique and authentic experience that drinking whisky in the home of its birth is the one thing that tourists can do in Scotland, but nowhere else on the earth. That concludes the debate, and the meeting is closed.