Established in 2019, Holyrood Distillery is an exciting attraction located in the centre of Edinburgh as the first working single malt distillery in the city for almost a century. While we might be new on the scene, the building housing our Distillery and the surrounding areas have fascinating links to Edinburgh’s brewing and distilling heritage.

Situated next to Holyrood Park, in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat, our Distillery is located in an auspicious area known to some as the ‘Charmed Circle’. This name is owing to the water supply created by the volcanic fault lines below the surface of the city. From Augustinian monks brewing in the nearby Holyrood Abbey as early as the 12th Century – fast forward to the 19th century, when over 40 breweries operated in Edinburgh’s Southside. Vital to the operation of these breweries was the Innocent Railway which once ran directly through St Leonard’s. Constructed in 1835, our Distillery building served as a terminus for trains carrying coal and malt which powered Edinburgh’s breweries and other industrial centres.

We have created our urban Distillery and visitor centre by reconfiguring the existing three-storey building. Clad in dark zinc to mirror the seasoning of the barrels through the whisky production process, and featuring glazed screens that create a framed view of Salisbury Crags from our Distillery bar, we have created a building that truly encapsulates our vision. It represents a modern distillery with strong ties to Edinburgh’s past.