In the 19th century, Leith was Edinburgh's main maritime gateway. The port district served as an interface between ships arriving from Europe laden with dried fruit, wine, brandy and other goods. At the height of its popularity, there were no fewer than a hundred bonded warehouses in the area.

Blended whiskies were already thriving in Leith. There were trading houses, storage facilities and bottling plants: it was something of a logistical and commercial hub for Scotch whisky in the Edinburgh area. Local merchants, who had many empty imported wine and sherry casks at their disposal, decided to reuse them to mature their whisky.

It hasn't all been plain sailing. Industrial decline and globalisation have wiped out many warehouses, transforming places once dedicated to storage into housing, and Leith has had to reinvent itself.

But in recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest: for example, the Kask Whisky Trail allows visitors to rediscover these places of memory and the Shore, and new iconic venues are opening in the same port, celebrating the past while projecting it into the future.

As I drove around this neighbourhood in Bradpeat's car, I could feel the dampness of the quays and hear the echo of footsteps in the warehouses, and I realised that every sip of whisky also drew on this port geography. I also discovered that the revival of whisky in this part of Edinburgh has been driven by the opening of several production and trading facilities. 

Bonnington Distillery

Located on Graham Street, this malt distillery has taken over a site historically linked to whisky production in the area. Its modern creation marks the return of whisky production to a district long dedicated to storage.

The foundations of the distillery were laid in 2018. While digging the ground, workers discovered ancient remains: the ruins of a military headquarters, traces of a bronze workshop, and echoes of the 16th-century siege of Leith.

In 2019, the distillery finally rose, modern and proud, inaugurated by Halewood Artisanal Spirits. It became the first single malt distillery in Leith in a hundred years, reviving a dormant heritage.

Inside, everything is designed to combine tradition and innovation. A 2.5-tonne mash tun, six 10,000-litre fermentation vats, two gleaming stills... and underground, an ancient aquifer 147 metres deep, providing pure, almost sacred water.

Every year, more than 4,000 casks are filled, each one promising future single malts. The distillery can produce up to 500,000 litres of spirits per year, but what matters is patience: the time it takes to transform clear alcohol into golden whisky, rich in character.

The Bonnington Distillery is also the new home of the Crabbie Whisky brand, heir to John Crabbie, a pioneer of the whisky trade in Leith in the 19th century. Thus, every drop produced today is a bridge between the past and the future: it tells the story of a port that was once the beating heart of Scotch whisky, and is now finding its voice again.

You will find all the information at The Bonnington Distillery | Crabbie Whisky 

Port of Leith Distillery

One of the jewels in the crown of Leith's whisky renaissance. Located on the waterfront, this nine-storey vertical distillery is a nod to innovation while remaining rooted in the port's past.  It evokes the tradition of the maturation warehouses that once lined the quays.

It all began in 2014 with two childhood friends, Ian Stirling and Paddy Fletcher. One was a wine enthusiast, the other a finance expert, and they dreamed of breathing new life into this port district by setting up a distillery unlike any other. 

For nearly ten years, their project matured, took shape and was financed. And in 2023, the Port of Leith distillery finally opened its doors. But not just any old distillery: it extends vertically, floor after floor, like a tower of glass and steel.

This architectural choice is no whim: it reflects the urban and modern spirit of the project, while offering visitors a unique experience, where each level tells a story of the whisky's journey.

Inside, two stills shine like jewels, with a production capacity of 400,000 litres per year. Visitors don't just come to watch: they participate. They are given a flask of spirits, still young and fiery, which they fill themselves. They taste, compare and discover the links between whisky, port and sherry — a nod to the cargoes that made the port of Leith so wealthy.

And then, at the top of the tower, a panoramic bar awaits them. There, between sky and sea, they savour a cocktail or a dram of whisky, while the city of Edinburgh stretches out before their eyes. It's more than a tasting: it's a communion with the history and future of the city.

You will find all the information at The Port Of Leith Distillery

In addition to these distilleries (to which we can add HOLYROOD (Whisky Distillery | Gin Distillery | Edinburgh | Holyrood Distillery) in another part of the city), there are also new-generation blending houses and malters such as WOVEN (which we will discuss below), FLAGRANT DROPS (Fragrant Drops - Independent bottlers), BLIND SUMMIT (Blind Summit Whisky) and WOODROW'S OF EDINBURGH (Woodrow's of Edinburgh - Independent Scotch Whisky Bottler). They are all different but are contributing to the renewal of whisky in Leith and Edinburgh—between heritage and innovation—and I was lucky enough, once again with Bradpeat as my faithful ally, to feel this vibe on the quayside.

To finish off our tour of Leith, we also find The Vaults, home to the legendary Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), a legendary tasting club, and bars such as Teuchters Landing (a former shipping warehouse turned pub), King's Wark (authentic) and Malt & Hops (a sanctuary for malt lovers).

Woven Whisky

Woven is not a “distillery” in the traditional sense, but a blending house. It embodies a new dynamic breed of whisky: it blends, experiments and plays with flavour profiles, while remaining rooted in the neighbourhood's international port heritage. 

This blending house was born out of a desire shared by three enthusiasts (Pete Allison, Duncan McRae and Matthew Gammell) to “re-examine” blended whisky, to make it less sacred, more accessible, and more focused on taste than on age or origin alone. And what better place than the historic district of Leith to launch this whisky adventure? It is located at Anderson Place in a former biscuit factory.

And what better way to blend into this historic port and commercial district than to source supplies from around the world?

Indeed, Leith is not only Woven's headquarters, but Leith's port history is directly embedded in their approach. Woven is inspired by the idea of a neighbourhood where wine, sherry and brandy arrived by ship and the empty barrels were reused for whisky. The neighbourhood became a warehouse of flavours and maturation.

What's more, Woven sources its ingredients from around the world: malts and grains from Scotland, Ireland, England, the United States, South Africa and Australia. Everything is blended in their studio in Leith.

Woven plays on global blending, but with one foot in tradition and one foot in innovation. Whisky becomes ‘for drinking’, for now, for sharing: not just for collecting. The packaging, the message and the attitude are ‘alive’.

HOMEMADE is a tribute to Leith and its historic blends, but with a modern twist. It has an international flavour, which comes through in the ageing process.

This blend is composed of Scottish malt and grain, but with a higher proportion of malt whisky (around 70% of the total). It has been aged 50% in Spanish Pedro Ximénez Palo Cortado casks and 50% in Australian Apera casks (a fortified wine inspired by Tawny port). It is offered here at 46.4% ABV.

The initial nose of this blend is very fresh and could be likened to fresh herbs on a misty morning. However, it also reveals some slightly spicy notes.

On the second nose, notes of green apples and nuts can be detected.

The more vinous and fruity notes from the casks appear on the third nose but remain fairly limited, certainly due to the use of proven casks, which nevertheless still give beautiful notes.

The palate is quite smooth. It delivers malty notes, then releases peppery notes. Subsequently, the texture becomes mellower with notes of dried fruit, almond and wood.

The finish is quite dry but leaves silky, sweet notes in the mouth.

SUPERBLEND is a ‘world’ whisky designed to transcend the traditional geographical constraints of Scotch.

It is composed of malts and grains from Scotland (35% and 40% respectively), but also distillates from various English distilleries, Germany's largest single malt distillery, American experiments and finally an Irish producer! Now that's what you call a diverse blend! 

The first nose reveals sweet, mellow and warm notes of honey (like candy). It almost smells like popcorn.

The second nose is more tart and slightly spicy, but remains very sweet.

The third nose is adorned with notes of ripe fruit and reveals slight hints of caramel.

Overall, the nose is very sweet and mellow.

On the palate, the silky texture remains, but it seems to awaken with more pronounced notes of spice and burnt wood. As it develops, a mixture of fruity notes, more intense woody notes and finally marine and salty notes emerge.

The finish is long with notes of liquorice and here and there spicy or velvety notes on the palate.

EMISPHERE is another blend unlike any other you have ever tasted: it is made from single malts from the ‘two Scotlands of the world’! 

On the one hand, there is a distillate from one of Scotland's largest distilleries and, on the other, a single malt smoked with manuka (a flowering shrub from New Zealand, better known as tea tree) from the Thomson Whisky distillery located just outside Auckland in New Zealand (‘Southern Scotland’).

The first nose of this hemispheric blend is marked by rounded notes of chocolate pims on a citrus background, but cooked over a wood fire (with some smoky notes in the background).

On the second pass, we find fruity notes with increasing intensity (and peppery notes on the nose).

The final impression allows the mind to wander to a piece of exotic wood furniture that has just been polished.

On the palate, it is quite pronounced and much less rounded than the nose would suggest. There are certainly sweet notes, but they are quickly dominated by spicy notes (pepper and ginger) and then smoky notes. It finishes with a more maritime and salty flavour against a backdrop of peat.

The finish begins with mixed notes of cold smoke and lemon, before softening to leave notes of tobacco on the palate.

You can find more information at Woven sur Woven Whisky Makers

When the sun sets over Leith, the wind from the Forth still carries the scent of salt and malt.

I lean against Bradpeat, my gaze lost in the orange light of the harbour. Around me, the walls still tell tales of barrels, men and ships.

But today, Leith speaks a new language: that of whisky, looking to the future without denying its past.

And I already know I will return. Because here, every sip tastes of travel — and of coming home.