To really experience Scotland’s national drink a trip to one of the country’s many distilleries is a must.
Many of the famous names that produce whisky offer tours of the premises to visitors.
These tend to involve a tour of the premises with an expert guide divulging all the appropriate facts and figures, followed by the all-important tastings then a trip to the shop to stock up on your new favourite dram.
While many of these temples to the water of life are relatively far-flung in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands, several distilleries are within a 90 minute drive of Edinburgh.
Here are eight of them.
. Distilleries
You don't have to travel far in Scotland to find a distillery you can tour. Photo: Contributed
1. Holyrood Distillery
Established in 2019, the Holyrood Distillery, was the first single malt whisky distillery to open in the city centre in almost a century. They offer a number of gin and whisky tours and tastings starting from £16. It's a 15 minute walk from the Royal Mile, at 19 St Leonard's Lane. Photo: Holyrood Distillery
2. Glenkinchie Distillery
Only 15 miles from the capital lies Edinburgh's unofficial distillery, home of the 'Edinburgh malt' and one of the best equipped in the country for tours. With an incredible scale model to show the process involved in whisky making, a state of the art visitor centre and an intimate tour, it's well worth checking out. Their "full-sensory tour & tutored whisky tasting" costs £19 and includes three drams and a cocktail. It's around a 40 minute drive from Edinburgh City Centre, in Pencaitland, Tranent. Photo: Glenkinchie Distillery
3. Deanston Distillery
Having played a starring role in the Ken Loach film, The Angels' Share, Deanston distillery is around an hour away by car from Edinburgh. Housed in a former cotton mill, it offers excellent visitor facilities which show how the distillery grew into a modern day production site. A tour of the distillery, including tasting three single malts, costs £25. More expensive tours and tastings are also available. The distillery is in the village of Deanston, eight miles north of Stirling. Photo: Deanston Distillery
4. Clydeside Distillery
A quick hour drive down the M8 takes you to Glasgow and the city's Clydeside Distillery. Learn all about the whisky barons and Glasgow's rich history of shipbuilding and sea trade, before finding all about how this pretty distillery is making its first ever single malt which should be available in a few years or so. It's within walking distance from the city centre and also has an incredible whisky shop and cafe that are both worth visiting if you make your way there. A one hour tour costs £15 and includes two tastings. Pay £30 and you also a five dram single malt tasting, each expertly paired with exquisite artisan chocolates. Find them at 100 Stobcross Road, on the banks of the Clyde near the RIverside Transport Museum. Photo: Clydeside Distillery