Whisky distilleries near Edinburgh you can visit in a day

Part of our Edinburgh Airport transfer services and vehicles guide

In Edinburgh

• Holyrood Distillery, Southside, about 20 minutes' walk from Waverley Station. It runs tours and tasting experiences.
• The Port of Leith Distillery, in Leith near Ocean Terminal, easy to reach by tram.

East Lothian: half a day

Glenkinchie, near Pencaitland, is the best-known distillery outside the city, about 40 minutes away by car. By public bus the trip takes well over two hours, so a car makes it an easy half-day out.

Stirling and Perthshire: a full day

• Deanston, on the River Teith about 8 miles from Stirling. Its buildings appeared in the film The Angels' Share.
• Tullibardine, at Blackford in Perth and Kinross, about an hour from Edinburgh by car but around three hours by public transport.
• Glenturret, in Perthshire, near Crieff.

Combine two of these with lunch in Stirling or Crieff and you have a relaxed day with no train timetables to watch.

Fife: whisky and the coast

• Lindores Abbey, at Newburgh, on a site linked to a 1494 record of aqua vitae being made for King James IV.
• Kingsbarns, near St Andrews, with tours and a café.

A Fife day can finish with a walk around St Andrews before the drive back over the Forth.

Why take a private driver?

Most distilleries outside the city are hard to reach by public transport, and the best part of each visit ends with a dram. With a private driver, nobody in your group has to stay sober to drive, and the day runs to your timings rather than a bus timetable.

Tell us which distilleries you want to see and we will plan the route and timings around your tour bookings, then confirm one fixed price for the day. Plan a whisky tour from Edinburgh.

Before you go

1. Book distillery tours in advance, especially at weekends and in summer.
2. Check minimum age rules for tastings if you are travelling with younger family members.
3. Eat a proper lunch between visits.

Frequently asked questions