Port of Leith Distillery Tour and Tasting

The Port of Leith Distillery turns whisky making into a vertical adventure. In about 90 minutes, you move through a remarkable production building, learn how spirit changes over time, fill a miniature bottle of new make, and taste several stages of the process.

I love the hands-on bottle filling, and I like the guided QC Lab tasting, where you compare new make spirit with port, sherry, and Table Whisky. The guides, including Olivia and Ellie on different tours, bring clear explanations and a good sense of humor.

The main catch is timing. The distillery is new and has not yet released its own whisky, so your tasting does not include a finished Port of Leith whisky. You also need to book the bar separately if you want a drink there after the tour.

Key points to know before you book

• The building rises vertically: Explore a striking distillery designed around height rather than a wide, low factory floor.
• You bottle your own new make: Fill and keep a miniature bottle of freshly distilled spirit.
• The tasting follows whisky’s life cycle: Compare new make spirit, port, sherry, and Table Whisky in the QC Lab.
• The tour lasts about 90 minutes: Sessions run from late morning into the evening, giving you useful flexibility.
• The distillery’s own whisky is not ready yet: The tasting teaches production and maturation, but it does not include a finished house whisky.
• The tour is limited to 20 people: That helps keep the explanations and tasting manageable.

Why the vertical design matters at Port of Leith

Many distilleries spread their stills, warehouses, and work areas across a broad site. Port of Leith takes a different approach. Its building is designed vertically, and the tour gives you a chance to understand how that unusual structure supports whisky production.

The building itself is one of the main attractions. You are not simply stepping into a bar with a few stills in the corner. You are touring a working production facility, with plated walkways and open grate flooring in parts of the route.

That layout makes sensible shoes essential. High heels, open-toe shoes, and cleated cycling shoes are not permitted. If you have a balance impairment, heart condition, or high blood pressure, take the safety warning seriously and consider if this is the right visit for you.

The unusual shape also gives the tour a strong sense of place. You see how the company’s physical setting reflects its modern approach to whisky making. The vertical design is not just a photo opportunity. It gives your guide a useful way to explain movement through the production process.

Port of Leith is described as the world’s tallest distillery. The visit also tells the story of two whisky fans from Edinburgh who began with a dream and built a distillery from that idea. That personal beginning gives the architecture and equipment a human story, rather than making the tour feel like a factory lecture.

The story of two Edinburgh whisky fans

The tour begins with the company’s unlikely start. You learn how two people in Edinburgh moved from talking about whisky on a sofa to operating a major distillery project.

This part matters because it explains the spirit of the place. Port of Leith is not presented as an old family business with centuries of inherited equipment. It is a new project built by people who wanted to rethink how whisky could be made and presented.

Your guide handles much of this storytelling. Olivia has been described as fun and well informed, while Ellie combines clear explanations with humor. Guide quality can shape a short tour, and both names are worth noting if you see them attached to your session.

The story also helps you place the distillery within modern Scotch whisky. You are learning about a young producer before its own aged whisky reaches the market. That makes the visit especially useful for understanding how a whisky brand develops over time.

What happens during the 90-minute tour

The tour takes place at Whisky Quay in Leith, at 11 Whisky Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6FH. The activity begins and ends at the same meeting point, so you do not need to arrange a separate pickup or figure out a second finishing location.

The route takes you through the distillery and its production areas. You explore the building, hear the company story, and learn how whisky is made. Since the group can include up to 20 people, you get a shared guided experience rather than a private visit.

Expect the tour to combine explanation with movement. You are not sitting in one room for the full hour and a half. You need to walk through an active production facility, use plated walkways, and pay attention to the guide’s safety instructions.

The late-morning-to-evening schedule is useful if you are fitting the distillery into a day in Edinburgh. You can place it before dinner, after sightseeing, or alongside time in Leith. The listed price is $41.61 per person, with the adult tour price also given as £30. The exact amount you pay will depend on the booking currency and current exchange rate.

Filling your miniature bottle of new make spirit

The most memorable practical moment is filling your own miniature bottle of new make spirit. This is spirit that has been distilled but has not yet matured into whisky.

You keep the small bottle, which gives you a physical reminder of the production process. It is more personal than simply receiving a standard tasting glass, and it helps you understand that whisky begins as a clear spirit before years in wood change its color, aroma, and taste.

This activity is also a useful correction to a common misunderstanding. New make is not the same as finished Scotch whisky. Scotch must mature in oak casks for the required period before it can be called whisky, while the new make you handle is at an earlier stage.

The bottle-filling activity suits curious first-time visitors and whisky fans who enjoy seeing how a product develops. It is not a substitute for tasting an aged Port of Leith whisky, since the distillery has not released its own whisky yet.

The QC Lab tasting, from spirit to maturation

The tasting takes place in the QC Lab, where you sit down and work through several samples. The session is designed to show how whisky changes during production and maturation, rather than offering a simple line-up of unrelated drinks.

You taste new make spirits, port, sherry, and Table Whisky. This selection lets your guide explain the character of the fresh spirit and the role that fortified wines and casks can play in the finished drink.

Port and sherry are especially useful in this setting because they connect the tasting to maturation. The samples help you think about cask influence, flavor changes, and the stages between distillation and a mature whisky.

Table Whisky is part of the tasting as well. The supplied information does not define its exact composition, so you should expect the guide to explain its place in the session rather than assume it is the distillery’s final house whisky.

The educational value is strongest if you take your time and listen before judging each sample. A bar tasting may give you more drinks, but this session gives each sample a job. You are tasting to understand a process, not just to collect pours.

The important limitation: no finished house whisky yet

You should book this visit with clear expectations. Port of Leith is a new distillery, and its own whisky has not yet been released. That means you will not taste a mature Port of Leith whisky made by the building you have just toured.

For some whisky fans, this will be a serious drawback. If your main goal is to compare several aged Scotch whiskies from the producer, wait until the distillery’s own releases are available.

For other people, the timing is part of the appeal. You get to see the project before its whisky reaches the shelves and learn what happens long before a bottle becomes ready to sell. The new make sample and production-focused tasting are central to the visit.

I would choose this tour for the building, the process, and the chance to understand a young whisky company. I would not choose it solely for the promise of drinking a finished Port of Leith single malt.

Is £30, or about $41.61, good value?

The price is fair if you value instruction and access to the working distillery. You receive the guided visit, the tasting, and your own miniature bottle of new make spirit, all within about an hour and a half.

The value is less clear if you only want drinks. The tasting is guided and educational, not a free-form bar session. You are paying for the building, the production explanation, the company story, the samples, and the bottle-filling activity.

Remember that the distillery bar is not included. If you want to spend more time drinking at the bar, you must book that separately and pay your own expense. The bar should be treated as an optional extra, not part of the tour price.

The group limit of 20 helps the price feel more reasonable. A smaller group makes it easier to hear the guide and follow the tasting. It also keeps the experience from feeling like a large coach excursion.

Who will enjoy this Leith experience most?

You will get the most from this tour if you are interested in how whisky is made, not only in drinking the final product. It suits first-time whisky visitors because the tasting follows a clear path through production and maturation.

It also works well for people who enjoy architecture and modern design. The vertical distillery gives the visit a strong visual focus, and the building is unusual enough to appeal even if you are still learning whisky basics.

A serious whisky collector may find the missing house whisky frustrating. Still, the visit offers a look at the distillery before its own mature spirit is available, which has its own appeal.

Children aged 7 to 17 may attend for £10, but they must stay with a responsible adult. Babies and children under 7 are not permitted for health and safety reasons. Most adults can take part, and service animals are allowed.

Practical details that affect your visit

All tours are conducted in English. Printed or QR scripts are available in French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Chinese Mandarin, while Polish material is available in printed form. Braille and large-print scripts are also available.

You are asked not to translate during a public tour. If someone in your group needs another language, check the available script options rather than planning to interpret while the guide is speaking.

The distillery is near public transportation, which makes the Leith location practical for an Edinburgh day out. The meeting point is Whisky Quay, and the tour returns there at the end.

Wear flat, closed, sensible footwear. This is not a place for fashion shoes that make walking on grates awkward. You will be more comfortable if you dress for a production facility rather than a cocktail bar.

The experience requires good weather. If poor weather causes cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. For your own plans, free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that period are not accepted and are not refunded.

When to book and how to plan around it

The tour is often booked about 22 days ahead, so do not leave it until the day before if your Edinburgh dates are fixed. A maximum of 20 people gives the session a defined capacity.

The range of start times helps you fit the visit around Edinburgh sightseeing. A late-morning slot can begin a Leith day, while an evening session can work before dinner. Leave enough time to reach Whisky Quay without rushing, since late arrival could mean missing part of the safety briefing or opening explanation.

Plan the bar separately if that is important to you. The tour ends back at the meeting point, but bar access is not included and must be booked on its own.

Should you book the Port of Leith Distillery Tour?

Book it if you want a clear, well-structured lesson in whisky production, a look at an unusual vertical distillery, and a small bottle of new make spirit to take home. The QC Lab tasting gives the visit real purpose, and guides such as Olivia and Ellie add humor and clarity to the technical material.

Skip it for now if your main aim is tasting a finished Port of Leith whisky or spending a relaxed afternoon in the bar. That product is not yet available, and bar access costs extra.

For most visitors with an interest in Scotch, the tour offers good value because it connects the building, the people behind the project, the production method, and the tasting glass. Just arrive in sensible shoes and understand that you are seeing whisky at the beginning of its story, not the final chapter.

FAQ

Where does the Port of Leith Distillery tour begin?

The tour begins at Whisky Quay, 11 Whisky Quay, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6FH, UK.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point at Whisky Quay.

How long does the tour last?

The tour and tasting last approximately 90 minutes.

What is included in the price?

The price includes entrance to the distillery, the guided tour, and the tasting. You also fill a miniature bottle of new make spirit during the visit.

Is access to the distillery bar included?

No. Bar access is not included and must be booked separately at your own expense.

What drinks are included in the tasting?

The guided tasting includes new make spirits, port, sherry, and Table Whisky.

Is the distillery’s own whisky included?

No. The distillery is new and has not yet released its own whisky, so a finished Port of Leith whisky is not part of the tasting.

Can children join the tour?

Children aged 7 to 17 may join for £10 per person and must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Babies and children under 7 are not permitted.

What should I wear for the tour?

Wear sensible footwear suitable for open grate flooring and plated walkways. High heels, cleated cycling shoes, and open-toe shoes are not permitted.