Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how personal information about you is collected, used, and protected when you visit our website or enquire about our private distillery experiences in Scotland and Northern Ireland. It applies to information submitted through our enquiry form, information generated by your use of the website, and any correspondence you send us.

We are committed to processing your personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. We ask that you read this policy carefully, as it sets out the legal bases we rely on, the periods for which we retain your data, and the rights available to you.

Who we are

For the purposes of data protection law, the data controller of your personal information is The Sunshine Tour, of Guildford Road, Rudgwick, Horsham, United Kingdom. We operate the website and arrange the private distillery experiences described on it.

We have not appointed a separate data protection officer; privacy matters are handled directly by our management team. You may exercise any of the rights described below by writing to us at the postal address above or through the enquiry form on our homepage.

Information we collect

Enquiry and booking information. When you submit the enquiry form, we collect the details you provide: your full name, email address, telephone number, preferred travel dates, chosen destination, number of guests, and any wishes or preferences you choose to share (for example, dietary requirements or accessibility needs, which may reveal special-category data that we process only with your consent and only to make suitable arrangements).

Correspondence. If you contact us by post or through the website, we keep a record of that correspondence and its content for as long as necessary to deal with your enquiry and for our own records.

Technical information. Like most websites, ours collects limited technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser type, device category, the pages you view, and the time of your visit. Part of this collection is done through cookies and similar technologies, which are described in detail in our Cookie Policy.

How we use your information

We use your information to respond to your enquiry, prepare a bespoke itinerary and quotation, and, if you decide to proceed, to arrange and administer your experience — including coordinating distillery visits, transport, and tastings on your behalf.

Under the UK GDPR we rely on the following legal bases: performance of a contract, or taking steps at your request prior to entering into a contract, when handling your enquiry and delivering your booking; consent, where you have given it (for example, to process dietary or accessibility details), which you may withdraw at any time; legitimate interests, in maintaining business records, improving our services, and protecting our legal position, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights; and compliance with legal obligations, such as retaining accounting records for the periods required by law.

We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling, and we do not sell your personal information to anyone.

Who we share your information with

To deliver your experience we share the minimum necessary information with the partners involved in your itinerary: the distilleries you will visit (to arrange private access and tastings), licensed transport operators such as helicopter, yacht, and chauffeur providers (for passenger manifests and safety requirements), and the service suppliers that support our business, such as website hosting and email providers.

Each of these recipients processes your information only to the extent required to provide their part of your experience or to support our operations. Where a recipient acts as our processor, we require appropriate contractual protections for your data. We may also disclose your information where we are required to do so by law, or to protect our legal rights.

International transfers

Your information is stored and processed primarily in the United Kingdom. Some of the distilleries and operators we work with are located in Northern Ireland, and certain service providers may process data outside the UK.

Where a transfer of your personal information outside the UK takes place, we rely on the safeguards recognised by UK data protection law, including adequacy regulations and, where required, the International Data Transfer Agreement or approved standard contractual clauses, so that your information continues to be protected to a standard consistent with the UK GDPR.

How long we keep your information

Enquiry records that do not lead to a booking are kept for up to 24 months after our last contact with you, after which they are deleted or irreversibly anonymised. Where a booking takes place, we retain the related records, including financial records, for six years after the end of the relevant tax year, as required for accounting and tax purposes.

Records of consent are kept for as long as the consent remains relevant, plus a further 12 months, so that we can demonstrate what you agreed to and when. Technical logs and aggregated analytics are retained for no longer than necessary for the purposes described in our Cookie Policy.

Your rights

Under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 you have the right to be informed about how your data is used; the right of access to a copy of the personal information we hold about you; the right to have inaccurate information corrected; the right to have your information erased in certain circumstances; the right to restrict or object to processing; the right to data portability; and the right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

To exercise any of these rights, write to us at the postal address given above or through the enquiry form on our homepage. We will respond within one month, and may ask you to verify your identity before acting on a request. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK's independent data protection regulator.

Cookies and similar technologies

We use a small number of cookies and similar technologies, including a locally stored record of your choice in our cookie consent banner. Full details of the categories we use, their purposes, and their durations, together with instructions for managing or withdrawing your consent, are set out in our Cookie Policy.

Security

We apply appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include encrypted connections for the website, access controls limiting who within our team can view enquiry data, and the selection of service providers who meet reasonable security standards.

No method of transmission over the internet is entirely secure, however. While we work hard to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security, and we encourage you to take care when sharing personal details online.

Age restrictions

Our experiences include alcohol tastings and are available only to guests aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children, and our website and services are not directed at persons under 18. If you believe that information about a child has been submitted to us, please contact us so that we can delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or the law. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you through the website. We encourage you to review this page periodically.