Gordon & MacPhail appoints Studio MB to design new visitor experience at The Cairn Distillery

ELGIN-BASED whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail has appointed a firm to design its new distillery visitor experience in the Cairngorms National Park.

Scottish brand and cultural destination firm Studio MB has been commissioned to bring to life Gordon & MacPhail’s vision for a world-class visitor destination at The Cairn, its state-of-the-art whisky distillery.

The Cairn is under construction at Craggan and scheduled to open its doors to the public in summer 2022.

Studio MB will be involved in the project from inception to completion, focusing on narrative planning, content development, visitor experience design, exhibition, interiors, graphics, AV software and hardware design, lighting design, script writing and project management.

The Edinburgh-based design agency creates brand destinations, museum exhibitions and heritage attractions throughout the UK and overseas.

It has won awards for projects including Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, The D-Day Story in Portsmouth, and Titanic Belfast.

Ian Chapman, marketing director at Gordon & MacPhail, said: "Our desire is to create an astonishing and truly memorable 'must-visit' visitor experience attracting guests from all over the world.

"Studio MB continues to play an integral role as we aim to deliver this intention. Drawing on their expertise in creating world-leading visitor experiences they have brought an entirely fresh perspective to the project, alongside creative flair, a visitor-centric methodology and professional rigour.

"We look forward to working with Studio MB and other partners over the coming months as we bring the vision to life in preparation for welcoming whisky lovers and adventure seekers to The Cairn from summer 2022."

Craig Mann, co-founding director at Studio MB, said: "We are very excited to have been appointed by Gordon & MacPhail to imagine and deliver their new distillery visitor experience. They have a truly remarkable and unique vision to present.

"This will be a story about time invested – an immersive journey that started over 125 years ago but one that continues to look far into our futures."

Studio MB is working alongside brand designers We Are Good, based in Glasgow, as well as NORR Architects and Morrison Construction who are respectively creating the brand identity and the new distillery.

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