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The courtyard of Holyrood Distillery on St Leonard's Lane, stone buildings and casks.
Edinburgh

Holyrood Distillery

A whisky and gin distillery on St Leonard's Lane, below Salisbury Crags, open for tours every day.

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Welcome

Down St Leonard's Lane on the south side of the city, with Salisbury Crags rising behind the rooftops, an old stone building has been turned into a working distillery.

Holyrood Distillery makes whisky, and a good deal more, a short walk from the Old Town.

Its makers call themselves the (r)evolutionaries. They build flavour into their spirit from the very start, trying different yeasts, malts and ways of working before it ever reaches the cask, rather than leaving the wood to do everything. The same curiosity went into their Height of Arrows Gin and Elizabeth Yard Sherry Cask Rum, both on the shelves in the shop.

There is a tour for every level, from people who have never tasted whisky to those who know it well, and for gin drinkers too. The distillery is open every day from half past eleven until half past five, or half past six on Saturdays.

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The Daily for 31 October, from Scotland with love. A ring of standing stones set among mist and autumn birch
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Before you go

Open every day.

Tours for whisky beginners, gin lovers and enthusiasts can be booked on the distillery's own site.

Where
19 St Leonard's Lane, Edinburgh EH8 9SH.
Open
Sunday to Friday 11.30am to 5.30pm; Saturday 11.30am to 6.30pm.

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Where it is

On St Leonard's Lane, on the south side, below Salisbury Crags and Holyrood Park.

Close byThe Southside and the park.
  1. The bright yellow front of Tiger Dragon at 87 St Leonard's Street, its sign reading Chinese Traditional Pancake, with a white bench under the window.Tiger DragonA small cafe on St Leonard's Street making jian bing, the savoury street pancakes of Tianjin in northern China, open Monday to Saturday.Under a mile as the crow flies
  2. Surgeons’ Hall MuseumsSurgeons’ Hall MuseumsThe Royal College of Surgeons' museums, with one of the largest pathology collections in the UK.Under a mile 3 min by road
  3. 101 Bakery101 BakeryFancy cakes topped with fresh flowers, and cinnamon buns on the way past.Under a mile 3 min by road
  4. Paper cup reading "The Black Medicine Coffee Co." under an espresso machine spoutBlack Medicine Coffee ShopA coffee house at the top of Nicolson Street, open every day since 1998.Under a mile 3 min by road
  5. Dynamic EarthDynamic EarthEdinburgh's science centre under a white tented roof below the crags.Under a mile 4 min by road
  6. Arthur’s SeatArthur’s SeatThe 251-metre summit of an old volcano in Holyrood Park.4 miles 15 min by road
Directions
The glass counter at Peregrine filled with trays of bakes, among them a Tayto cheese and onion Danish, a Guinness wheaten loaf and a champ potato farl.CafePeregrine0.2 miles
A cast-iron pot of braised tofu in a red chilli sauce beside a plate of crisp battered slices in a light, sweet sauce, on a blue tablecloth at The Way Taste.RestaurantsThe Way Taste0.2 miles
A crisp, spicy stir-fry with red and green chillies and sliced peppers, served in a steel dry pot on a wooden table at Taste of Home on Clerk Street.RestaurantsTaste of Home0.2 miles
The bright café at Lady and the Bear, with wooden tables and chairs, plants along big windows and a blue counter at the back.CafeLady and the Bear0.3 miles
Two sourdough sandwiches on white plates on a wooden table at Cult Coffee Roasters, seen from above.CafeCult Coffee Roasters0.3 miles
The pink front of Book Lovers Bookshop on Melville Terrace, its hanging sign reading A Romance Bookshop and romance novels in the window.ShoppingBook Lovers Bookshop0.3 miles
Plaited cheese buns and topped bagels on a copper tray behind the glass of the counter at Kungfu Bakery on Nicolson Square.CafeKungfu Bakery0.4 miles
The dining room at Condita by candlelight, with round wooden tables laid for dinner in the foreground and string-art panels on the white walls beyond.RestaurantsCondita0.4 miles
The pale front of Pomelo at 27 Sciennes Road, its name painted small beside the open door and a wooden bench under the window.RestaurantsPomelo0.5 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the distillery, and when each is next free.

A turreted sandstone building with conical spires catches the evening light above rooftops, a large pine tree standing beside it.The Scott Hotel
  • A hotel
  • In Edinburgh
  • Under a mile from the distillery
Check datesA round table and chairs stand before tall curtained windows looking onto stone buildings, a sofa and mounted television to the right.Moment George IV Bridge
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Edinburgh
  • Under a mile from the distillery
Check datesA hotel studio room with a beige fitted kitchen unit and stainless sink beside a bed dressed in white and teal cushions, a wall of black-framed pictures above a patterned headboard.Old Town Chambers
  • To stay
  • In Edinburgh
  • Under a mile from the distillery
Check datesWest End Muse
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Edinburgh
  • A mile from the distillery
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in EdinburghAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

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What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in Edinburgh.

From the magazineA Whisky BusinessCollectionDistilleries to visit in ScotlandCollectionDistilleries Worth the Tour
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