Stories

Sun, 18 Oct 2026

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 'I took a chance on the whisky industry and I haven't looked back'

Zoey Darnbrough had no idea there was a distillery near her home - now she has a top tourism role there.

* Zoey Darnbrough is a 26-year-old who works at Annandale Distillery in southern Scotland after studying heritage and tourism.
* She was recently nominated for "rising star" recognition at the South of Scotland Thistle Awards.
* Despite initially being unaware of the distillery's existence, she has risen through the ranks from tour guide to group tourism and events co-ordinator.
* Zoey believes that her experience shows that young people can thrive in the region without needing to move to a city.
* She thinks that the area has much to offer, including heritage, scenery, and job opportunities.
* Zoey would like to see more done to encourage young people to stay in the region, including marketing the area better and highlighting career options in heritage and tourism.
* She hopes to "change people's opinions one woman at a time" by promoting the south of Scotland as a great place to live and work.