TB Watson Ltd. has been trading in Dumfries since 1909 and was incorporated in 1924. The company has changed somewhat since its humble beginnings as a Gent’s Outfitters in the days when the well-dressed gentleman was never seen without his hat! The present directors’ grandparents bought the company in 1948 (after managing it for many years) just after the second world war and proceeded to expand the business to include a ladies-wear shop, barber’s shops, fishing tackle / sports equipment specialist and finally a tobacconist and wine & spirit merchants in the 1950s. We wholesaled wines and spirits throughout the South of Scotland and North West England from the late seventies until 1998 although now only the Wine & Spirit Merchants, Tobacconist and our Crystal Engraving company, Galloway Glass (all under the same roof) remain now.

One of our directors, Brian Gibson, is a ‘Keeper of the Quaich’, a prestigious award given to those who dedicate themselves and their time to the promotion of Scotch Whisky.

Our Mission Statement from 1910 still holds true today:

My aim is to give satisfaction; to attend to you courteously, attentively, and smartly; to give you what you want; to take a pleasure in showing you what you want, whether you buy or not; and to give the very best value possible.

We think that Thomas Baird Watson knew a bit about retailing and we hope that he’d be proud that the business set up in his name in 1909 is still trading into the 21st Century.

We now focus our energy on providing a quality service to all our customers be they across the counter or across the internet. Our Whisky Club (previously known as ‘The Drambusters’ has well over 300 annual members who get the opportunity to taste a range of whiskies every 4-6 weeks, usually with a celebrity from the whisky industry, as well as special offers and trips to distilleries. More can be read about this on the Club’s dedicated page here.

We host our annual Whisky Festival in Dumfries on the last day of November. The event has gone from strength to strength since it began in 2011 and now over 750 enthusiasts descend on the town every year. There are over 200 product choices to sample from over 40 different suppliers and we also have local produce stands to sample from. All this and large shop at the event where you can purchase your favourites of the day.

You can read more about it and purchase tickets here