Managing Director, Edinburgh Whisky Academy

 

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Kirsty is MD of the award-winning Edinburgh Whisky Academy, the only SQA-certified centre of learning for whisky education.

She comes from a family steeped in whisky heritage with her forefathers starting Mackinlays whisky in 1815. Two hundred years later in 2015, Kirsty began her own entrepreneurial journey, establishing the Edinburgh Whisky Academy following a period working as Nordic Brand Ambassador for Moet Hennessy’s whiskies Glenmorangie and Ardbeg. There, she noted a gap in the market for whisky education and was inspired to create a business that now offers certified online and face to face courses in whisky and gin for both industry professionals and enthusiasts. The Edinburgh Whisky Academy has provided training for distilleries, drinks brand owners, hospitality providers, retailers and distributors including Macallan, Ian McLeod Distillers, Chivas, Interbev, Montpeliers and White & Mackay.

In 2020, Kirsty was named Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year for Scotland and Northern Ireland in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Region: Scotland