Whisky In Edinburgh: Your Guide To The City's Best Spots

Forbes

10 hours ago

The Johnnie Walker Princes Street whisky experience in Edinburgh is a multi-floor whisky ... More extravaganza that cost over $200 million to build.
Edinburgh's historic relationship with whisky runs deep. Following the Industrial Revolution and throughout the 19th century, Scotland's capital was a major Scotch whisky player. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was home to influential names like Andrew Usher, John Crabbie, and other grocers who became helped Scotch whisky become a global product by pioneering the first blends, making Edinburgh a major export hub for whisky at the time. At its height, the city was full of bonded warehouses, and its port in Leith was funnelling whisky to markets all over the world.
Over time, the industrial aspects moved elsewhere. As whisky tourism emerged as an industry in the 90s, Edinburgh was mostly a place to fly into before heading out to places like Islay or Speyside. But in recent years, things have shifted again. A new generation of distilleries, bars, shops, and bottlers have brought fresh energy to the city's whisky culture. You can now taste experimental new make at one end of the city and sip a dram in a historic pub at the other. Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned connoisseur, Edinburgh now offers truly world class whisky experiences and opportunities to try the best whiskies available —without ever having to leave the city limits.
So here's a little guide to help you decide where you should find a drink or few.
Holyrood Distillery is in the center of Edinburgh.
Whisky-making has returned to Edinburgh in a tangible way, with a handful of working distilleries now operating within the city. Each brings its own approach, adding welcome diversity to the capital's whisky landscape.
Holyrood Distillery, located just a stone's throw from Edinburgh's iconic Royal Mile, is a good place to start. This urban distillery is a true pioneer with its exploration of new make spirit (the clear, vodka-like liquid that goes into a cask and eventually becomes whisky). Visitors are encouraged to taste their way through different types of new make, exploring different yeast strains and grain varietals used. The variety is impressive, and it gives a hands-on look at how small changes in production can lead to significant shifts in flavor and aroma.
Across town at the Leith waterfront, the Port of Leith Distillery offers something equally distinctive. Built vertically over several floors, it's one of the most unique distillery layouts in Scotland. The gravity-fed production system is clever, but what really stands out is the rooftop bar. With views stretching across the city, it's as much a destination for whisky drinkers as it is for tourists.
Then there's the North British Distillery, one of the largest grain whisky producers in the country. You won't find tours or tastings here, but its presence is unmistakable—it's responsible for the malty aroma that you'll often smell in the city. Similarly, Bonnington Distillery, home to the revived Crabbie's brand, doesn't offer public access, but it's a significant part of the city's distilling resurgence.
Together, these four sites, two public-facing, two working behind the scenes, establish Edinburgh as a whisky-producing city once more.
Royal Mile Whiskies is one of Edinburgh best-known whisky shops.
Edinburgh's whisky shops are some of the best in the country. Each offers a different atmosphere and focus, and all are within walking distance if you fancy a whisky-themed stroll through the city.
Royal Mile Whiskies is probably the most iconic of the bunch. Right on the High Street across the street across from the St. Giles Cathedral, this well-established shop is friendly, well-stocked, and staffed by people who really know their stuff. You'll find everything from core range classics to single cask oddities, and it's a reliable place for gifts, tasting sets, and unique bottlings you may not find anywhere else.
Walk down the Royal Mile towards the Scottish Parliament and you'll find Cadenhead's, Scotland's oldest independent bottler. They stock only their own bottlings—mostly single cask whiskies sourced from distilleries across Scotland, often at cask strength. If you're hunting for something distinctive and unusual, this is the place to go.
Just next to the Waverley train station you'll also find Jeffrey St. Whisky and Tobacco, which offers a curated, boutique feel. Alongside a strong selection of whisky, it also stocks high-quality cigars and pipe tobacco. They host regular tastings too, which are well-run and feature some phenomenal selections.
Robert Graham, with shops on both the Royal Mile and near Princes St on the western side of the center of the city, is also an independent bottler in its own right and also offers cigars.
Cask & Vine on the Royal Mile is a new bar serving superb whiskies.
There's no shortage of good spots when it comes to drinking whisky in Edinburgh—whether you're looking for rare single casks or a relaxed pub atmosphere.
A standout is the award-winning Kaleidoscope Bar in the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's Queen St. clubhouse. This is the public-facing side of the members' club and one of the best places in the city to try single cask whiskies. All the bottles are exclusive to the SMWS— which is famous for not providing any distillery labels. Each bottle features a numeric code which indicates the distillery its from and unique descriptions written up by its tasting panel, a refreshing way to try whisky without any prior expectations about a brand.
In the Old Town, Bow Bar and the Ensign Ewart offer excellent selections in more central locations. All have long-standing reputations and a superb stock that will meet the requirements of the most demanding connoisseur. A more recent addition worth noting is Cask & Vine, also located right on the Royal Mile. A new bar linked with Jeffrey St. Whisky and Tobacco, it boasts an impressive whisky selection, nibbles and also the possibility of enjoying an olive oil tasting if not in a drinking mood.
Also located in the heart of Old Town, The Lost Close is something different altogether. This tucked-away venue is part tasting room, part historical site, located within the centuries-old catacombs of the city. You'll need to book in advance to take part in one of their guided whisky tastings, but it's worth it for the intimate setting and carefully curated drams. The bar selection isn't huge, but very classy and well-curated.
Further afield, The Canny Man's in Morningside is a famously eccentric pub running since the 19th century with a whisky list as eclectic as its décor, while the excellent Tipsy Midgie, located close to Holyrood Distillery, regularly hosts tasting events.
Over in Gorgie, The Athletic Arms, also known as Diggers, is a bit of a local secret, maybe because of its location slightly outside the city centre. It doubles as a world class bar featuring hundreds of whiskies at extremely competitive prices but also as one of the top pub headquarters for local football (soccer) team Hearts of Midlothian, with plenty of pictures of past players and jerseys proudly hung all over the pub.
In a different category altogether are the two big attractions aimed at whisky newcomers and broader audiences.
Johnnie Walker Princes Street is the flashiest of the lot—a £150 million multi-floor whisky center with guided tastings, high-tech exhibits, and a rooftop bar with sweeping views. It's a sleek, brand-forward experience that emphasises storytelling and accessibility more than geeky detail, but it does it extremely well.
Not to be left behind is the Scotch Whisky Experience located right next to Edinburgh Castle. It's recently undergone a refurbishment, refreshing its long-running tour experience. It's still the go-to for families or those new to whisky, combining sensory exhibits, guided tastings, and one of the largest whisky collections in the world.
Gleann Mòr Spirits are one of Edinburgh's well-established indie bottlers.
Connoisseurs know very well that some of the best whiskies you can find and try come from independent bottlers, businesses that purchase casks from distilleries or brokers and release their own whiskies. Edinburgh supports a small but varied group of independent bottlers, and to be able to try these Edinburgh bottlers' superb whiskies in the capital is a nice thing to be able to check off the whisky to-do list. Look out for bottles and drams from Fragrant Drops, The Whisky Cellar, Woodrow's of Edinburgh, and Gleann Mór.
But one of the most distinctive new Edinburgh whisky businesses is Woven, a blending house based in Leith. Rather than bottling single casks, Woven focuses on small batch blends, each created with a clear flavor concept in mind. It's a modern take on Edinburgh's blending tradition, brought back with a fresh aesthetic and an open approach to flavour profiling.
Edinburgh might not have the rural romance of Islay or the distillery density of Speyside, but it's quietly become one of the most impressive whisky destinations in Scotland. With working distilleries, top-tier bars, specialist shops, and a strong network of independent bottlers and blenders, the city offers a rounded experience that blends history with modern creativity. Whether you're sipping rooftop drams in Leith or discovering a new cask-strength gem in a hidden bar, Edinburgh's whisky scene has never been more exciting. This guide, while covering a lot of the good stuff, isn't fully comprehensive - many bars in the city have a great whisky selection and there's excellent shops all over.
For any whisky tourist, the capital is no longer just a stopover, it's a destination in its own right.