Edinburgh
Edinburgh is one of the great whisky cities on earth. The Scotch whisky industry has its commercial centre an hour west in Glasgow but Edinburgh has the deepest concentration of serious whisky bars per square mile of any city in the world.
Royal Mile · $$
350 plus whiskies on the back wall. Knowledgeable bartenders who steer you to the right dram. Cask ale alongside. Open daily.
Old Town · $$$
Educational venue with the largest single collection of Scotch whisky in the world (over 3,400 bottles). Touristy but the collection is real. Open daily.
Old Town · $$
Cocktail bar in a converted Victorian pump house with a serious whisky back bar. Open daily.
New Town · $$$
Whisky tasting bar with around 300 single malts and tasting flights organised by region. Open daily.
Stockbridge · $$$
Heritage independent bottler tasting room. Cadenheads is Scotland s oldest independent bottler, established 1842. Open Tuesday to Saturday.
$$
Cocktail bar with a serious whisky focus. The bartenders are knowledgeable. Open daily.
in Edinburgh ›
in Edinburgh ›
in Edinburgh ›
in Edinburgh ›
in Edinburgh ›
Order a single malt from a region you have not tried. Islay if you have not had a peated dram, Speyside for sherry cask, Highland for fruity, or a Lowlands for light and grassy. Or order a flight comparing three.
350 plus whiskies on the back wall. Knowledgeable bartenders who steer you to the right dram. Cask ale alongside. Open daily.
Educational venue with the largest single collection of Scotch whisky in the world (over 3,400 bottles). Touristy but the collection is real. Open daily.
Looking beyond Edinburgh? See our guide to the best whiskey bars worldwide, or compare whiskey bars city by city.