Port of Leith distillery
| Region: Lowland | |
|---|---|
| Location | Edinburgh, Scotland, UK |
| Coordinates | 55°58′58″N 3°10′32″W / 55.98278°N 3.17556°W |
| Owner | Muckle Brig Ltd. |
| Founded | 2023 |
| Founder | Paddy Fletcher and Ian Stirling |
| Status | Operational |
| No. of stills | 1 wash still 1 spirit still |
| Capacity | 400,000 L |
| Website | www |
| Map | |
Port of Leith Port of Leith (Edinburgh) | |
The Port of Leith distillery is a whisky distillery in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located in the Leith area of the city, close to the Ocean Terminal shopping centre and the Royal Yacht Britannia.[1][2]
It is the first vertical distillery to be built in the United Kingdom, the building reaching nine stories tall. As well as working distillery, it is also a visitor attraction, with panoramic views of the city from a top-floor bar.[3][4] The vertical layout is the result of the small plot of land it is built on; this caused significant challenges during the design and construction, and the project ended up costing £12m.[5]
History
Port of Leith distillery was founded by Paddy Fletcher and Ian Stirling in 2023.[6] Fletcher and Stirling had previously founded Lind & Lime gin distillery.
The planning application was made in 2017, and was granted in 2019. Construction of the distillery started in 2020,[7] but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
The distillery opened to the public on 11 October 2023,[3] after 4 years of construction but did not start producing new make spirit until early 2024.[8]
See also
References
- ^ "Port of Leith Distillery, Edinburgh – Whisky Distilleries". Visit Scotland. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ a b "The whisky distillery that wanted to fall down". BBC News. 27 March 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ a b Cunningham, Ed (19 October 2023). "Port of Leith: The UK's First Vertical Whisky Distillery Has Opened in Scotland". Time Out. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ "Port of Leith: Distilling Scotch from top to bottom". whiskymag.com.
- ^ Bennett, Magnus (27 March 2023). "The whisky distillery that wanted to fall down". BBC News. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ Ramaswamy, Chitra (25 January 2023). "'This is an exciting time!' How Scotland's whisky industry went from bust to boom". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ "Work begins on Port of Leith Distillery". Scottish Construction Now. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ "Port of Leith Distillery begins production". whiskymag.com.