Corney & Barrow Ayr Shop

In 1994, Corney & Barrow’s Scottish operation merged with Whighams of Ayr, one of the longest-established wine merchants in the UK. Set up by a group of prominent Ayrshire merchants and landowners in 1766, Whighams traditionally supplied fine wines and spirits to many of the great houses and estates in southern Scotland.

Whighams has occupied the current residence in Academy Street in Ayr, for much of the 243 years of its existence. Robert Burns is thought to have visited the cellars in his role as excise man for the area in the late 1780s. The 1766-built cellars were constructed for the sole purpose of storing imported wines, ports and sherries shipped on the company-built vessels, which plied their trade around Europe. These cellars are very much still in use today for long-term customer reserve storage.