{
  "id": 15386972,
  "title": "'I took a chance on the whisky industry and I haven't looked back'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/i-took-a-chance-on-the-whisky-industry-and-i-havent-looked-back",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-18T08:12:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Business",
    "slug": "bbc-business",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6y8ln9831v3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Zoey Darnbrough, a 26-year-old from Dumfries and Galloway, has found herself thriving in the whisky industry despite not initially knowing such a distillery existed near her hometown. After studying heritage and tourism at Stirling University, she returned to Dumfries and Galloway, where she now works as a tour guide, group tourism and events co-ordinator at Annandale Distillery near Annan.\n\nZoey's career trajectory was not straightforward; she did not receive the exam results she hoped for in school and briefly worked in kitchens at Dumfries Infirmary. However, when a job opened up at Annandale Distillery, she decided to give it a try. She admitted that initially, the concept of a whisky distillery in her area seemed surprising, but she has been with the distillery for three-and-a-half years and has not looked back since.\n\nThe area offers a wealth of heritage, which Zoey believes is an attractive aspect for young people. She highlighted the lower property costs compared to city prices and expressed a desire for the south of Scotland to better market its attractions, including castles, scenery, and accommodations, to prevent young people from leaving. Zoey is committed to changing perceptions about career opportunities in heritage and tourism, both in her local area and beyond.",
  "summary": "Zoey Darnbrough had no idea there was a distillery near her home - now she has a top tourism role there.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}