Edinburgh, Dec 31 (IANS) Whisky has become Scotland’s best asset for gaining global recognition, an opinion poll showed Monday, Xinhua reported.
In the opinion poll of YouGov, an international internet-based market research firm launched in Britain, Scotch Whisky came top with 26 percent, ahead of other Scottish icons including tartan (8 percent), scenery (24 percent), the famous poet Robert Burns (3 percent) and inventions (4 percent), an government release said.
The findings are based on a survey of a total of 1,073 adults aged 18 above, undertaken between Dec 14 and Dec 17.
Whisky continues to grow in popularity, bringing a real boost to Scotland’s economy as 40 bottles of Scotch are shipped overseas each second, with 140 million cases exported worldwide every year.
Around 10,300 people are employed in the Scotch Whisky industry — many in economically deprived areas, while 35,000 jobs across Britain are supported by the industry, the release said while quoting figures from the Scotch Whisky Association and refer to 2011.
“Scotch Whisky is a truly iconic product and one that has an enviable reputation both at home and abroad. Its contribution to Scotland — in terms of jobs, tourism and exports — is truly impressive,” said Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead.
Scotland’s whisky sector is an international success story with exports at an all-time high, he said while expressing his confidence that whisky will continue to go from strength to strength.
