Scotland has around 140 operational distilleries. Its two main cities each have more serious whisky bars per square mile than anywhere else on earth. And yet the quality range among these bars is enormous. Some are tourist traps with impressive-looking shelves and staff who cannot tell you the difference between a Highland and an Island expression. The 7 bars below are not those bars.
We spent 3 weeks in Edinburgh and Glasgow finding the venues where the whisky is taken seriously, the staff are knowledgeable without being insufferable about it, and the atmosphere justifies staying for a third pour. Edinburgh dominates the list, but Glasgow's The Pot Still is, by most measures, the finest pub whisky bar in the country.
For whisky bars outside Scotland, our companion pieces on the best whisky bars in London and the best whisky bars in New York cover the two cities where Scotch has the largest international followings. For a broader view of where the world's best Scotch is being poured, our new guide to the best Scotch whisky bars outside Scotland covers London, New York, Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Edinburgh: The Capital's Finest
Edinburgh has approximately 60 venues that could reasonably call themselves whisky bars. We visited 34 of them. These 4 are the ones we would take a first-time visitor to, and also the ones we return to ourselves.
Bon Vivant
Thistle Street, Edinburgh · $$ · Mon-Sun 12pm-1am
The New Town bar that has been anchoring the Edinburgh whisky scene since 2007. The selection runs 250 single malts with particular strength in indie bottlers and closed distillery expressions. The food, small plates designed for sharing, makes it easy to stay for several drams without it becoming a session. The staff know every bottle on the wall by name and can navigate you through the Speyside section in under 5 minutes.
Whiski Bar & Restaurant
Royal Mile, Edinburgh · $$$ · Mon-Sun 10am-midnight
The Royal Mile location sounds like a tourist destination and the exterior does not dissuade that impression. The interior, the whisky list, and the service correct it immediately. Over 300 single malts covering all 5 producing regions in depth. The tasting menu, 5 whiskies selected by region, is one of the best whisky education experiences in the city. The kitchen produces serious food, not bar snacks.
"A whisky bar is not measured by how many bottles it has. It is measured by how many of those bottles the staff can actually talk about with authority."
Boisdale of Edinburgh
St Andrew Square, Edinburgh · $$$$ · Mon-Sat 5pm-1am
The Edinburgh outpost of the London institution. The whisky list runs 400 expressions with exceptional depth in aged expressions, including several bottles in the 30-plus year category that you will find nowhere else in the city at bar prices. Live jazz most evenings. The cigar terrace is a particular draw in summer. The price point is high. The quality justifies every pound.
The Royal Oak
Infirmary Street, Edinburgh · $ · Mon-Sun 11am-2am
The late-night pub below the Old Town that the locals actually drink in. The whisky selection is smaller than the tourist bars, around 80 expressions, but every one is well-chosen and poured without ceremony. Live folk music sessions happen without warning most evenings. The prices are honest. The atmosphere is irreplaceable. A real Edinburgh pub bar with a whisky selection that puts most cities to shame.
Glasgow: The Pot Still and More
Glasgow's whisky culture is less visible than Edinburgh's because it does not target tourists. It exists for people who live there, which makes it better. The city has 3 bars worth traveling for.
The Pot Still
Hope Street, Glasgow · $ · Mon-Sat 11am-midnight, Sun 12:30pm-midnight
The finest pub whisky bar in Scotland by most assessments we trust. Over 600 single malts in a traditional Glasgow pub room with no pretension and no tourist markup. The staff have a collective knowledge that rivals any specialist retailer. The independent bottler selection, Signatory, Douglas Laing, Gordon and MacPhail, is particularly strong. The prices make it possible to try 4 or 5 expressions without pain. Walk-ins only.
Bar Ox
Wilson Street, Glasgow · $$ · Mon-Sun 12pm-midnight
The Merchant City bar that combines a serious whisky list with a cocktail program that actually uses Scotch correctly. The Whisky Sour made with Campbeltown single malt is one of the best things we drank in Glasgow. The back bar holds 180 expressions. The food menu is extensive and serious. The weekend brunch service, adding whisky cocktails to the standard brunch format, has built a loyal following.
Further Afield: Speyside
The Craigellachie Hotel in Speyside operates a bar called The Quaich, and it sits on the most important whisky road in the world. The Speyside distilleries, Glenfarclas, Aberlour, Macallan, Glenfiddich, are within a short drive. The Quaich holds over 900 expressions, the largest selection in Scotland, and the setting, a Victorian country hotel in the heart of malt whisky country, makes the experience entirely unlike any city bar.
The journey from Edinburgh or Glasgow takes 2.5 hours by car. For serious whisky travelers, it is compulsory. Our best bars for whiskey lovers guide places The Quaich in the global context it deserves.
