Holyrood
Pair Holyrood with a round
Our sister site TripSCOT covers the visit side — opening hours, getting there, family-friendly notes. We cover the whisky.
Edinburgh's first single malt distillery in nearly 100 years, opened in 2019 in a converted Victorian railway goods shed near Holyrood Park. Focused on experimentation with heritage barleys, yeast varietals, and non-standard grains. Central location makes it the easiest distillery tour in any Scottish city.
Holyrood is Edinburgh's first single malt distillery in nearly a century — opened 2019 in a Victorian engine shed next to the Scottish Parliament. The ethos is experimental: different barley varieties, yeast strains, and maturation approaches in each release batch. The 2023 inaugural Arrival sold through quickly; the peated Embra now leads a deliberately small-batch release strategy that has shown impressive complexity for a very young distillery in a challenging urban production environment.
Visiting Holyrood
Contact distillery
St Leonard's Lane, Edinburgh
EH8 9SH
- Shop
- Café/Restaurant
- Parking
Core range
Embra
43.6% ABV
The current lead bottling — a peated Edinburgh single malt at 43.6%. The 2023 inaugural Arrival sold through; Holyrood runs a small-batch strategy rather than a fixed core range.
Food pairings
| Whisky | Food | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Holyrood Darkside | Dark chocolate and espresso truffles | The experimental dark cask expressions suit intense cocoa flavours. |
Getting there
Walking or bus from Edinburgh city centre. St Leonard's Lane, 10 min walk from the Royal Mile.
Edinburgh Waverley station is 1km away — an easy walk from the platform. (Distance as the crow flies; actual walking route may differ.)
Edinburgh Waverley station travel guide on TripSCOTWhere to eat nearby
- The Sheep Heid InnPub
Edinburgh's oldest pub (est. 1360), 5 min walk in Duddingston village.
- Holyrood Distillery barBar
On-site tasting bar in the Victorian engine shed.
Where to stay near Holyrood
Holyrood distillery is in the heart of Edinburgh, immediately below Arthur's Seat on St Leonard's Street. Edinburgh has unlimited accommodation at every price point. The distillery is walking distance from the Royal Mile and Holyrood Palace. This is the only city-centre whisky distillery in Edinburgh's historic core.
Full range 10-15 min walk from the distillery.
Quieter alternative in the Edinburgh Southside.
Hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering within easy reach of Holyrood.
Booking links are affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Location
St Leonard's Lane, Edinburgh, EH8 9SH
View on map →Frequently asked questions
+Is Holyrood worth visiting over other Edinburgh distilleries?
Yes — it's the only single malt distillery in Edinburgh and the Victorian setting is spectacular. The Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile is a tourist attraction; Holyrood is a serious distillery.
+What is the Darkside series?
Heavily charred and experimental cask releases exploring dark flavour profiles — coffee, chocolate, and intense roasted notes unusual for Scotch.
+Where is Holyrood distillery?
Holyrood is in the Lowlands. Postcode EH8.
+When was Holyrood distillery founded?
Holyrood was founded in 2019, making it roughly 7 years old.
Compare with similar distilleries
The most innovative comparable is InchDairnie. Edinburgh setting unique — closest in urban-distillery character to Port of Leith and Clydeside.
InchDairnie
An innovation-led distillery quietly building a reputation for experimentation — multiple mash bills, rye-based releases (RyeLaw), and the PrinLaws Collection. Spirit is held back for long maturation, so commercial releases are only just emerging. The peated KinGlassie 8 Year Old has since joined RyeLaw among the official releases.
Clydeside
Built into a restored Victorian pumphouse on the north bank of the Clyde next to the Riverside Museum, Clydeside was Glasgow's first new single malt distillery in over a century when it opened in 2017. Run by Tim Morrison, the former owner of Bowmore, and his family. The core has since gained a peated companion, Fortnight, alongside the unpeated Stobcross.
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