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Whisky Tour: Discover Old Edinburgh's Whisky History
4.8
48 Ratings
Edinburgh
Small group tour with a maximum of 18 people.
Discover where whisky was made, sold, and enjoyed in Old Edinburgh… both legally and illegally…
Learn about Scotland’s history and the evolving role of Scottish whisky, then savor exquisite malt whiskies while discovering the journey of your dram from field to glass.
Small group tour with a maximum of 18 people.
Discover where whisky was made, sold, and enjoyed in Old Edinburgh… both legally and illegally…
Learn about Scotland’s history and the evolving role of Scottish whisky, then savor exquisite malt whiskies while discovering the journey of your dram from field to glass.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Mercat Cross - Begin your tour at the Mercat Cross and uncover the significance of this eight-sided monument steeped in history.
- Royal Mile - Embark on a sensory adventure through Scotland’s whisky. Discover Edinburgh’s Old Town, where the world’s largest Scottish whisky company was established, and where the rich history of “aqua vitae” (or…
- Mercat Cross - Begin your tour at the Mercat Cross and uncover the significance of this eight-sided monument steeped in history.
- Royal Mile - Embark on a sensory adventure through Scotland’s whisky. Discover Edinburgh’s Old Town, where the world’s largest Scottish whisky company was established, and where the rich history of “aqua vitae” (or the “water of life”) originated. Listen to tales of those who pioneered whisky production in Edinburgh, including the smugglers, bootleggers, and other intriguing characters from the Old Town’s past.
- Mercat Tours - Your knowledgeable guide will provide insights into the “water of life”; from the whisky-making process to the influence of essential elements like water, barley, peat, and the cask on production. Experience the aromas and flavors of the whisky regions, with samples from Speyside, Highland, Islay, and Lowland distilleries. Consider this your first step towards becoming a whisky expert!
What's Included
- Whisky tasting of 4 drams
- Small group experience
- Award-winning local storytellers
- TourTalk radio receiver for immersive storytelling
- Whisky tasting of 4 drams
- Small group experience
- Award-winning local storytellers
- TourTalk radio receiver for immersive storytelling
What's Not Included
- This tour is not suitable for those under the age of 18
- This tour is not suitable for those under the age of 18
Additional Information
- Tours are guaranteed all year round, so please dress for the weather, with comfortable shoes.
- Tours are guaranteed all year round, so please dress for the weather, with comfortable shoes.
Location
Mercat Cross
High Street
Mercat Cross, High St, Edinburgh EH1 1RF. Look for the 8 sided monument with white Unicorn on top. You will find a member of our visitor services team waiting here to check you in. They will be dressed in black, holding an iPad, wearing an orange lanyard & holding a black & orange umbrella.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(48 Ratings)
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Saaamanthalynn
Dec 2, 2024
Perfect small gathering whiskey tasting for first timers - Perfect small gathering whiskey tasting. Jared (also known as JarHead) was very personable and knowledgeable. He made the experience pleasant and gave great recommendations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stacie_c
Oct 19, 2024
Wait for the fun - Jared was our guide. The history and walking part was just ok. I think what made it so impersonal was that we had earphones on and with the busy sidewalks he walked in front and spent let’s of time reciting various whiskey history. The super part was at the tour headquarters when we sat down for the tasting. It was a cozy and historic room and his attention and knowledge was fabulous. He engaged each of us on the tour and we all thoroughly enjoy the tasting and the knowledge gained of the scotches from all the areas in the country. It was fun and a highlight of our day.
Review provided by Viator
F6317qemissym
Sep 21, 2024
Edinburgh whiskey tour - My husband and I went on the whiskey tasting tour along with Calum our tour guide. Calum was an excellent guide and gave a wonderful tour and explanation about Scotland and its relationship to whiskey. This tour was recommended by a family friend and even though my husband and I don't drink alcohol we had a marvelous time and thoroughly enjoyed our tour, in large part due to Calum's exceptional knowledge of Scotland and whiskey making. Lots of fun and I highly recommend this informative tour, and if you like whiskey even a better reason to attend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carries376
Sep 14, 2024
Delightful and Well Worth Your Time! - Jared was wonderful. I can’t say if we had another guide it would have been as good. It isn’t a job to him, it’s a passion and it shows! The history he gave of both Edinburgh and whiskey is something I wish I could have written down and taken with me! I am not a whiskey lover but I thought I would still try and maybe find one I like. I didn’t! But I enjoyed learning and broadening my horizons. I recommend this tour and if you can get Jared, even better!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dianeto300xq
Aug 16, 2024
More than a wee dram - We can recommend this tour. We had a tour of Edinburgh and a bit of history then we arrived at our tasting. Great location. Great choice of whiskies. We learnt so much. Our guide was brilliant and really friendly. It is a must do.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roving18862090571
Jul 18, 2024
Whiskey tasting in the underground - An exciting and interesting walking tour of a few blocks in Edinburgh. Our well-spoken guide gave a very good history telling of the development and intricacies of Whiskey in Scottish history.
We then went down into the underground and conducted an interesting whiskey tasting. It contained whiskey varieties with a wide range of taste and character.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paul_duncan1
Mar 25, 2024
Fab - Fabulous, very engaging and educational. Half of us live in Edinburgh but didn't have clue about the history of Whisky in Edinburgh.
My son said it was like a movie as he could visualise the events described.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Immasophiec
Feb 25, 2024
Perfect experience - My fiancee and I loved the experience. Ross, the tour guide was extraordinary. it was clear he was extremely passionate about his job and he enjoyed sharing his extensive knowledge of the city that he loves. Additionally, he was full of awkward Dad’s jokes that never failed to make us smile.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Staylor061
Jan 23, 2024
Great customer service and passionate staff - The company were very accommodating to us when we had to rearrange our dates. Always responded quickly to messages. The tour was fab and he was so knowledgeable and really enthused about his topics. Really interesting and good fun tasting later.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gayleenr2017
Jan 16, 2024
Whiskey tasting was ok - Enjoyed the time in the tasting room. Could have shortened the tour portion. It was cold and very windy. Guide should have adjusted program.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
