London – Bonhams is expanding its presence in the global spirits market by reinforcing its spirits auctions in Scotland. To lead the department, Patricia Byott has been appointed Head of Spirits, Scotland. Patricia will be based in Bonhams Edinburgh saleroom in Melville Crescent.

Patricia Byott has more than a decade of experience with senior roles in Spirits and private client sectors, specialising in rare Scotch and global whisky markets. Patricia joins from Edrington, the international spirits company, where she was Head of Private Clients for The Macallan brand, based in Hong Kong. Her appointment reflects Bonhams' commitment to investing in expertise to meet the increasing global demand for collectable spirits.

Earlier this year, Bonhams also appointed Jamie Connor as a Whisky Specialist in the Edinburgh saleroom. Formerly at The Whisky Exchange, Jamie studied at the University of Aberdeen and began his career in Marketing and Communications before following his true passion, whisky. These strategic reinforcements come as Bonhams secures a full Scottish licence to operate independently and a dedicated warehouse space in Glasgow - further anchoring its spirits activities in Scotland, the home of whisky.

As part of a broader reorganisation, Bonhams will now operate its European spirits sales from Scotland, consolidating its expertise and infrastructure in the region. Bonhams is the only Global auction house holding spirits sales in Edinburgh. The Scotland team is also working on a programme of new partnerships to be announced in the coming months.

May Matthews, Managing Director of Bonhams Scotland, said: "Scotland is the natural home for our spirits business, and this move marks a transformative moment. With Patricia at the helm, a bonded warehouse in Glasgow, and new partnerships underway, we're putting the right people and structures in place to better serve our global clients from the heart of whisky country." Amayès Aouli, Bonhams' Global Head of Wine & Spirits comments: "With the global expansion of Bonhams Wine and Spirits department, this strategic move is designed to provide a set of state-of-the-art services to our clients.

Bonhams has been pioneering the Spirits auction market and I could not be more delighted at our initiative to reinforce our Scotland operations. With Patricia and Jamie, Iknow our clients will be in excellent hands."