How has the culinary and cocktail scene changed over the past decade in Edinburgh?

It’s changed massively. We started out just at the beginning of the wave. It’s a really exciting time to be in today. There’s a real desire to champion the produce of Scotland and the provenance of what is local.

Why is that emphasis on local so important?

It provides a genuine story. We can lay claim to Scotch being made a few miles up the road. Some of the finest spirits in the world. What better story is that?

How do you account for the importance of age in producing whisky? What makes something that’s 21 years old more special?

There’s a real human element involved. The love and the care and attention that goes into making a 21 year-old Glenfiddich for example, there’s a real person there who takes pride and passion in producing the very best products they can. You can’t make that story up. It comes from that harmony between human beings and nature.