Whisky sector professional Ross Barr has been appointed as the new manager of SCOTCH, the ‘world-class whisky destination’ within Edinburgh’s Balmoral Hotel.
The new appointment sees Barr returning to his roots, as he began his career as a Whisky Ambassador at the hotel at the age of 19.
During that early tenure, he travelled extensively across the world to promote the bar to international customers, and hosted literally hundreds of tastings in the famed Edinburgh venue.
Since then, Barr has cultivated an impressive career working across the industry, including with Diageo’s Glenkinchie Distillery and Bevvy Limited.
A highlight of his time with Bevvy Ltd was the creation of Hirundine with Scottish rugby stars Pierre Schoeman and Duhan van der Merwe.
His appreciation for digital media has also seen Ross become a well-recognised expert by trade and consumers alike, co-hosting the Whisky Stories podcast alongside Graeme Kilgour and Angus Shepherd.
Inspired by their meeting at SCOTCH, the friends came up with the idea for the podcast, which explores individual expressions, distilleries, and features interviews with industry insiders.
He is also a regular contributor to Bevvy’s YouTube channel, which has over a million global subscribers.
Barr said: “SCOTCH was the beginning of my whisky career and it is a privilege to return to The Balmoral for a new chapter.
“I’m excited to lead the brilliant team and share our love for whisky with our visitors, hosting tasting experiences and building on our events calendar.”
Occupying a prime position at 1 Princes Street in the centre of Scotland’s capital, SCOTCH Bar has over 500 bottles, including rare finds like Tomatin 36-Year-Old and Bunnahabhain 40-Year-Old, as well as a history filled collection from Gordon and MacPhail.
