TRANSPORTATION & TRAVEL HERITAGE
In DOIG & MACKENZIE, we pay homage to our beloved late grandfathers, George Doig and Alexander Mackenzie, who were tram and bus drivers with Edinburgh Corporation/Lothian Region Transport.
As young servicemen, Alexander supported the transportation division and George helped build the airport runway on the whisky isle of Islay.
Co-founders, Colin Graham and Douglas Cook, have travelled extensively throughout their careers in aviation and exporting respectively, hosting international guests and helping the world fall in love with Scotch whisky.
Colin and Douglas’ experience of guiding international travellers across Scotland and their keen interest in the place, people, processes and products of whisky distilleries has led to the creation of DOIG & MACKENZIE.
COLIN GRAHAM
Blue Badge Guide
Native to Edinburgh, Colin was born close to where the Scottish Parliament is today, and Holyrood Palace. He grew up between Portobello, Edinburgh’s seaside and Duddingston village, by Arthur’s Seat, the extinct volcano in the heart of the city.
Through his love of land, people and culture, Colin studied Geography and Modern Languages at the University of Glasgow, and as part of his degree, he spent time in Germany, Austria & Switzerland improving his German language skills.
As a student, Colin worked for many years at the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, now the Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. There he enjoyed informing and educating visitors from around the world about Scotch Whisky.
He then followed his passion for travel, spending almost 20 years with one of the UK’s leading long-haul airlines as Senior In-Flight Manager. He often found himself discussing Scotch Whisky with passengers on long-haul flights.
Moving on from his career in aviation Colin returned to the world of Scotch Whisky by working as a guide at The Glenlivet distillery on Speyside, where he became intrigued by the art of distilling and maturation processes and became immersed in the distillery’s history.
Colin then studied to become an accredited Blue Badge Guide with the STGA (Scottish Tourist Guide Association), where he enjoys taking visitors around Edinburgh and Scotland.
In summer 2021, Colin joined the team at Diageo as an experience ambassador at the flagship Johnnie Walker Experience on Princes Street in Edinburgh. There he enjoys hosting the bespoke Whisky Maker’s cellar experience, Whisky Explorer’s tastings and the signature Journey of Flavour experience.
Although born and brought up in the city, his heart does lie in the Scottish Highlands. His maternal grandmother hailed from Moray in Northeast Scotland and from an early age he was captivated by her stories of growing up in the Highlands, with family connections to distilleries in Moray and Glenkinchie distillery in East Lothian.
Colin is particularly interested in the diverse range of Scotch whisky distilleries across the country, their whisky making style and their fascinating heritage. If you are interested in whisky, want to learn more or just simply want to take in the delights of Speyside, he would be delighted to accompany you.
DOUGLAS COOK
Keeper of the Quaich
Douglas was born in the heart of Edinburgh and spent his youth either running in the hills overlooking the city, swimming or expressing his artistic side on stage. He went on to study Marketing and Modern Languages at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, where he specialised in Spanish and French.
Parallel to his studies and inspired by the many international students he met, he went on to take tuition in Catalan, German, Italian, Portuguese and Swedish.
Whilst living and working in Valladolid, Central Spain, Douglas was introduced to the fine wines of the Ribera del Duero. Fascinated by the provenance and the Castilians’ proud heritage of their wines, Douglas went on to research how the appreciation and commercialisation of the fine wines expanded from Castile to Madrid, onwards across Spain and beyond.
Upon graduating Douglas pursued a career in exporting, leading him to the heart of Germany where he lived and worked for several years, mastering the German language.
On returning to Scotland, he joined the knowledgeable and passionate team at The Scotch Whisky Experience, welcoming and inspiring international visitors about the world of Scotch Whisky.
In time, and after taking an immersion course in Mandarin Chinese in Shanghai, Douglas joined the team at The Benriach Distillery Company where he travelled to 30 countries across 5 continents, representing the brands, developing distribution and managing sales of Benriach, The Glendronach and Glenglassaugh Single Malts as well as bulk whisky across diverse markets in Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America.
Besides educating and conducting tastings for whisky explorers, colleagues and trade customers, he also worked in new product development, contributing to the evolution of the brands, their core ranges and, in particular, creating special editions and rare cask bottlings.
In his role as Head of Scotch Whisky Advocacy at Brown-Forman Douglas lead, educated and supported a team of international ambassadors, working closely with whisky makers, distillery experience and brand teams across the globe.
In October 2021 Douglas was honoured to be nominated and inducted as a lifetime member of the Keepers of the Quaich for his outstanding commitment to the promotion of the world’s finest distilled spirit. Besides the craft of whisky-making, Douglas is fascinated by distillery architecture. He will also be delighted to exchange some English for some of your language whilst educating you all about Scotch whisky.
