Holyrood Distillery

Holyrood Distillery is where you see whisky actually being made in Edinburgh, rather than just learning about it. It opened in 2019 as the first single malt whisky distillery in the city centre for almost a century, set inside a sturdy nineteenth-century former railway building on St Leonard's Lane, on the south side of the Old Town and a few minutes from the edge of Holyrood Park. The team made a name quickly by experimenting: different barley varieties, different yeasts, and roasted and speciality malts borrowed from brewing, all in pursuit of flavour rather than tradition for its own sake. Gin is made here too, along with other spirits, so the tours cover both. A visit is a guided tour of about an hour, small enough to ask questions, that walks you through the production floor: the mash tun, the fermentation washbacks, the copper stills and the spirit safe, with the smell of malt and wort in the air. The guides are knowledgeable and generally unstuffy, happy to explain why Scotch must age for at least three years in oak before it can be called whisky and what that means for a young distillery. Tours finish with a tasting, and Tiqets sells a guided whisky and gin tasting tour that includes a welcome drink. The bar and shop on site are worth a look, and bottlings here are hard to find elsewhere. It sits slightly off the tourist track, which means smaller groups and a more relaxed feel than the attractions on the Royal Mile. Book ahead for weekends.

How it compares: Edinburgh's other big whisky attraction, the Scotch Whisky Experience at the top of the Royal Mile, is an introduction to Scotch as a whole, with a barrel ride, a huge collection of bottles and tastings that compare regions. Holyrood is the opposite: one distillery, real equipment working in front of you and a house style that is still being worked out. If you have only time for one and you are new to whisky, start with the Whisky Experience. If you already know you like it, or you want to see the process, come here. Doing both on the same trip is perfectly sensible, since they tell different stories.

Practicalities: the distillery is on St Leonard's Lane, a ten- to fifteen-minute walk downhill from the Royal Mile via the Pleasance or St Mary's Street, and close to Dynamic Earth and the foot of Arthur's Seat. Tours run through the day, generally from late morning into the evening, with later opening at the end of the week, and the guided group is capped at a modest size. Tastings are for adults of legal drinking age, and you should bring ID if you look young. Check the age policy if you hope to bring under-eighteens on the production tour. Do not drive: there is little parking nearby, and the tasting is generous enough that a taxi or a walk back is the better plan.

Making a half-day of it: combine the tour with a climb up Arthur's Seat or a walk along the path below Salisbury Crags beforehand, so you arrive with an appetite, then head back up into the Old Town or over to Dynamic Earth. Whisky lovers who want to go deeper should look out for the distillery's longer, more specialised tastings, which change through the year. The shop sells exclusive bottlings and gin, and the staff will happily recommend something to take home.