Lind and Lime Gin Distillery

Lind and Lime is a craft gin distillery in Leith, the old port district that has become one of Edinburgh's most interesting places to eat and drink. It was founded in 2017 by two friends and makes small-batch gins using traditional Scottish botanicals, and the tour and tasting is the way the public gets to see how that works. The experience lasts about an hour and a quarter and is led by a live English-speaking guide, with groups of up to twenty people, so it feels more like a visit to a working workshop than a stadium-scale brand attraction. You can expect an explanation of what actually turns grain spirit into gin, why botanicals matter, and how the character of a gin shifts depending on what goes into the still, followed by a tasting of the range in the distillery's tasting room. The distillery also runs gin-making classes for people who want to go further, which is worth knowing if you are planning a longer stay or a group occasion. Leith is a good setting for the visit: the distillery is at Coburg Street, a short walk from the Shore, with its seafood restaurants and waterside pubs, and the tram makes it an easy trip from the centre. If you have already done a whisky tasting on the Royal Mile and want something lighter and local, this is a good choice.

Gin sits in a slightly different place in Scotland than whisky does. It is quicker to make, more playful to taste, and it has become a vehicle for small producers to show off local ingredients. Lind and Lime is part of that wave, and the tour is useful if you are not sure what makes one gin different from another. Expect to learn how the base spirit is flavoured, what role juniper plays and how other botanicals are layered around it, then to compare styles in the glass.

The tasting is the centrepiece rather than an afterthought, which suits people who like to talk through what they are drinking with the guide and other guests. It is a drinks experience, so check age limits and any restrictions for under-eighteens when you book.

Practicalities are straightforward. The distillery is in Leith rather than the Old Town, so build in travel time, and remember that the tram from Princes Street and St Andrew Square runs down Leith Walk toward the port. Groups are capped at twenty, which keeps the visit conversational but also means that popular slots fill up at weekends, so book ahead if you are travelling in summer, during the festivals or in December.

Because you will be tasting several spirits, eat something beforehand, drink water between samples and leave the driving to someone else. If you have dietary or allergy concerns about botanicals, mention them to the venue before you go.

The best way to use the trip is to make an afternoon of Leith. Take the tram or a bus down in the early afternoon, do the tour, then walk to the Shore for a late lunch or an early dinner, and consider adding the Royal Yacht Britannia at Ocean Terminal on a different day if you want more of the port. The area has changed a great deal in recent years and now has some of the best independent cafes and restaurants in the city.

For visitors who like spirits, a sensible pairing is one whisky experience and one gin experience on the same trip, for instance a Royal Mile tasting one day and Lind and Lime the next. It also works well as a group outing or a low-key way to spend a wet afternoon.