Location: Edinburgh
Top Things to do in Edinburgh
Top 8 Distilleries in Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital city, renowned for its heritage, culture and festivals.
Take a long walk around the centre to explore the World Heritage Sites of the Old Town and New Town, as well as all the area’s museums and galleries. Then stop for a delicious meal made from fresh Scottish produce before heading out to take in one of Edinburgh’s many events — including the famous summer festivals of culture, or the Winter Festivals of music, light and ceilidhs.
Restaurants in Edinburgh
1. Pickering's Gin Distillery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,224 reviews
Pickering's Gin is distilled by hand at the Summerhall Distillery, Edinburgh's first exclusive gin distillery to open in 150 years. We are delighted to host guided tours and tastings. Please visit our website to book a tour and to check availability. Tours last approximately 80 minutes. For a mere £15 a head you can: - See our wacky 'Old Workshop', filled with our own inventions - Learn how hand crafted, small batch gin is made - Marvel at the botanicals room, still and bottling line - Sample all four Pickering's gin expressions - Get a wee G&T kit to take home - Explore the labyrinth of exhibitions and events within Summerhall Summerhall Distillery.
Reviewed By colinb319
Fantastic little distillery! A great tour with a very knowledgeable guide who talked us through the history of gin and the journey of the two founders and a passionate team in creating exceptional, delicious gin! A real treat and a must see.
2. Edinburgh Gin Distillery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2,505 reviews
Advance booking is essential as we are unable to offer walk in tours. Located in the beating heart of Scotland's capital, the Edinburgh Gin Distillery is a destination quite unlike any other. It's here that we produce small batches of gin, inspired by the majesty, marvel and mischief of Edinburgh and its inhabitants. The Edinburgh Gin Visitor Centre is a space in the capital where you can indulge both the mind and the palate in all things gin. From taking a tour or a guided tasting, to trying your hand at making your own, our goal is the educate, excite and libate; all in equal measure.
Reviewed By beverlyrevelry
This tour was fantastic in every way, from the knowledge and enthusiasm of our guide, Allan, to the behind-the-scenes look at the distilling process, to the generous and inspired tasting session! I heartily recommend making it a part of your Edinburgh itinerary!
3. Kask Whisky
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 6 reviews
Our themed whisky tasting events regularly take place in and around Edinburgh and our drams always speak for themselves. There’s no whisky snobbery here. Just a relaxed environment to enjoy some delicious drams with people who, if not your friends when you start, will be by the time you leave. If you're looking for a bespoke tour, visiting Scotland's whisky distilleries, we can create whisky experiences for everyone, from the whisky novice to the connoisseur. We also arrange walking tours of Leith, celebrating the port's whisky heritage by way of a few 'blast from the past' drams!
Reviewed By benjamin_s_uk - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Fantastic. (See photo for proof of good day out!) My gf, my sister and her bf all attended the tour as part of my birthday celebrations. We all had a super time and enjoyed a fair bit of phenomenal whisky after the really informative tour by Justine. Amiable, knowledgeable and gregarious, she put on a great tour. I would definitely go again and recommend this tour to anyone who wants to get out of Edinburgh, enjoys a bit of history and a lot of whisky...
4. Sip Antics
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 35 reviews
Sip Antics is a Drinks Experience company centered around a Micro Distillery and Gin School in Edinburgh.
Reviewed By mhairimackenzie31
My friend and I had such a good time at Gary's new gin tasting session, we got a gin and tonic on arrival and then got to taste a large selection of gins of different categories (which meant there was something for everyone) that Gary makes himself, with his own recipes on bespoke copper stills! At the end you even get to choose between loads of different gins he's made as a wee extra. I tasted the chilli chocolate orange gin, as well as the raspberry and ginger one. They were both fab!! All the gins we tasted were Gary's, but all around the room were lots of other scottish gins on display, and Gary would answer any questions we had about them. Gary was so informative and friendly and made the whole experience so much more enjoyable, and it felt so much more personal as it was a nice small group in a small distillery that is there to provide a fun experience rather than just make money! Overall it was a fantastic experience and I would love to come back again and try the other experiences such as the one where i can make my own gin and take it away with me at the Sip Antics Gin School!! Thanks Gary, would 100% recommend.
5. Tower Street Stillhouse
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 10 reviews
The Tower Street Stillhouse is the home of Lind & Lime Gin, the and the centre of operations of the Port of Leith Distillery, whilst we construct a new whisky distillery in Leith Docks. Come along to one of our evening tours to learn the secrets of making incredible gin, hear the Port of Leith Distillery history and drink some delicious cocktails.
Reviewed By chippy101
Along with 2 friends we went on the Leith Distillery Gin tour on 31st October. Really enjoyed it. The talk from Paddy was very interesting on how the idea of a Distillery started and also how plans to expand were under way .Paddy has us laughing with some of the stories of early days. Hannah then explained about the botanicals and the gin process. We firstly had a glass of sherry, then the most delicious Gin & tonic. Its gone to the top of my best liked gin list! This was followed by the Gimlet which just has to be tried, Definately recommend this tour and the gin which I bought on the night.
6. Holyrood Distillery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 210 reviews
Holyrood Distillery is an exciting new attraction and single malt whisky distillery in the heart of Edinburgh. It includes a guided experiential tour, a gin distillery, a whisky distillery, a tasting bar and shop.
Reviewed By aebruce - Falkirk, United Kingdom
From the word go (despite us being a few minutes late!) we were made very welcome. The girl on reception (sorry, didn't catch your name) was lovely and very helpful, later helping me pick gin and Marcus our guide was very friendly, informative and made the tour interesting and fun. The building itself is stunning and despite restrictions we thoroughly enjoyed our tour and will definitely be back. Look forward to tasting the whisky when it is ready and I am just trying my first gin now and it's great. Thanks Date of experience: October 2020  This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC See all 141 reviews Holyrood Distillery 208 Reviews #14 of 475 things to do in Edinburgh Ways to Experience Holyrood Distillery Private Lowland whisky tour - Build your own... This private Whiskywheels tour is fantastic for those wishing to sample what the Lowland whisky... from£290.00 More Info The Big Whisky Tasting Tour - Private Whisky... ++ The Big Whisky Tasting Tour +++ Four stops from a choice of eight + +12 or more whiskies to... from£390.55 More Info Edinburgh Private Gin Tasting Experience Love gin? Love history? Love it even more when they both coincide? Then come along with one of... from£80.00 More Info Related to items you viewed  Pickering's Gin Distillery 1,195 Reviews Distilleries  The Scotch Whisky Experience 6,460 Reviews Distilleries  Edinburgh Gin Distillery 2,505 Reviews Distilleries  Grassmarket 1,882 Reviews Historic Sites  Edinburgh Zoo 8,567 Reviews Zoos  Loch Leven Brewery 30 Reviews Breweries Shop Tickets & Tours Shop Now Day Trips & Excursions Sightseeing Tickets & Passes Outdoor Activities Walking & Biking Tours Multi-day & Extended Tours Private & Custom Tours Reviews (208) Finish Your Review Traveller rating Excellent180 Very good12 Average1 Poor1 Terrible0 Show reviews that mention All reviews visitor experience great tour great fun gin tour aroma room short walk from the city centre drinking whisky our tour guide liqueur stuart gins tasting distilling production shop auld invention Selected filters FilterEnglish 1 - 6 of 194 reviews  Whiskywonderer Reviewed 1 week ago Lovely way to spend a rainy afternoon! Review of: Whisky Tour and Tasting Lovely distillery, very friendly and knowledgeable staff. The tour was very informative and the guide was great. If you are a whisky fan and visiting Edinburgh, I would highly recommend visiting Holyrood distillery. Date of experience: September 2020 Thank Whiskywonderer This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC  nursekerry05 Reviewed 2 weeks ago via mobile Brilliant Booked for my husband who is a whisky fan. We both thoroughly enjoyed the tour and learnt so much. Also enjoyed the interactive activities. Rachel the tour guide was lovely and full of interesting facts. She also made sure we had a covid safe experience. Enjoyed the flight of drinks at the end. Would definately recommend. Date of experience: October 2020 Thank nursekerry05 This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC HD-Edinburgh, Digital Marketing Manager at Holyrood Distillery, responded to this reviewResponded 2 weeks ago Thanks for the lovely review, and for your visit - we really REALLY appreciate your support especially during this uncertain time! Come back soon! Report response as inappropriate This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC  GraceCharlotte11 Leeds, England, United Kingdom Reviewed 5 September 2020 Nice outdoor drinks Came here for some post-walk drinks in the lovely outdoor courtyard. Really impressed by the service. Our waiter was really knowledgeable about the drinks and recommended some fantastic cocktails - all of their own invention. All table service, distances tables, track+trace and plenty of hand sanitizer available. Felt very safe. Date of experience: September 2020  Thank GraceCharlotte11 This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC HD-Edinburgh, Digital Marketing Manager at Holyrood Distillery, responded to this reviewResponded 5 weeks ago Great! So pleased you could come to visit! Report response as inappropriate This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC  Anne B Reviewed 30 August 2020 All in all a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours Review of: Gin Tour and Tasting Took part in the Gin tasting tour at Holyrood distillery on Saturday 29/08/20, Stuart our guide was funny and informative telling us all about the process and history of gin. We tasted two gin liqueurs and two gins and afterwards we sat out in the garden area and had pizza and gin cocktails there is also a shop where you can purchase gins etc Date of experience: August 2020 Thank Anne B This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC HD-Edinburgh, Digital Marketing Manager at Holyrood Distillery, responded to this reviewResponded 5 weeks ago Thanks for coming Anne! Report response as inappropriate This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC  RandolphGardener Scotland, United Kingdom Reviewed 26 June 2020 Entertaining afternoon!!! I am not a constant drinker, but if it is a good liquor to taste and have a good conversation I am ready to do it, it was very informative to know how the whiskey is made and its varieties, take Great tour ???? - Holyrood Distillery Holyrood Distillery Edinburgh - Things to Do Edinburgh Scotland United Kingdom (UK) Europe Edinburgh Hotels Flights Holiday Rentals Restaurants Things to Do Forum Best of 2020 More £GBP United Kingdom  © 2020 TripAdvisor LLC All rights reserved. Terms of UsePrivacy and Cookies StatementCookie consentSite MapHow the site works This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in United Kingdom. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. more 
7. The Scotch Whisky Experience
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,457 reviews
Take a barrel ride as you actually become part of the whisky making process. Experience for yourself our regional whiskies and whether you like fruity, sweet or smoky flavours our experts will help you select your perfect dram.Enter the vault containing the world's largest collection of Scotch Whiskies and enjoy a special tutored nosing and tasting. Explore Scotland's whisky history from the very beginnings through to the global success of today.
Reviewed By RDHiscott - Lion's Head, Canada
Along The Royal Mile in Edinburgh, this is the home of the world’s largest collection of Scotch Whiskies, and visitors have the opportunity to watch the history of Scotch Whisky and how it is created via a moving amusement park-like ride, leading to a lesson in nosing and tasting of the final product with a full shot to sample (Cambeltown), followed by a sampling of four half-shots of whiskies produced in different regions of Scotland (Lowland, Highland, Speyside and Islay). This was a total immersive and truly relaxing experience … great fun, but don’t sample on an empty stomach! Gift shop had a great collection of Scotch Whiskies from all regions of the country.
8. Edinburgh Scotland
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By LeeRamirez
Edinburgh is a beautifully gothic place in Scotland a few hours away to London. It’s a friendly place for ghost stories explorations with cheerful and kind locales. Food is superb if you eat at indian restaurants ???? Shopping is fun here with inviting discounts and promos such as Boxing Day. Imagine the experience of hiking within the city. You’ll get amazing instagrammable pictures. A lot of popular movies such as The Avengers took place in this wonderful gloomy city.
