A Lowland whisky day from Edinburgh

Whisky day tour (Lowland)

One distillery, done properly

The Lowlands are the quiet corner of Scotch: triple distillation in places, a lighter spirit, far fewer visitors than Speyside or Islay. Glenkinchie is the only working Lowland distillery within reach of a day from Edinburgh, twenty minutes out through the barley that feeds it, and we would rather do one properly than rush two.

The point of doing it with us is simple: your driver-guide drives. Scotland's drink-drive limit is among the lowest in Europe, well under a single measure for most people, so a self-drive distillery day means one person tasting nothing. Here nobody has to sit it out.

The afternoon is a private tasting back in the city, your party alone with someone who pours for a living. We book both before the day rather than turning up and hoping, and we match the drams to what you actually drink.

Updated 21 October 2026. New to the planning? Start with our Scotland planning guide.

The day

2 stops, one day

1
East Lothian

Glenkinchie

The Edinburgh malt, and the closest working distillery to the city: twenty minutes out through the barley fields of East Lothian. The site has been distilling since the 1820s and keeps the largest pot stills in Scotland. The tour takes in the mash house, the stills and a scale model of a Victorian distillery built for the 1924 Empire Exhibition.
- Lowland malt
- Largest pot stills
- Victorian model
Admission tasting fees from £15 per person, not included, paid on the day
2
In the city

A private tasting, back in Edinburgh

The afternoon belongs to the glass rather than the still. A tasting booked for your party alone, led by someone who pours for a living: a flight chosen around what you already like, and room for the questions a distillery tour never leaves time for. Tell us at booking whether you are starting from nothing or know exactly what you are after.
- Your party only
- Flight chosen for you
- No queue
Admission tasting fees £15 to £45 per person, not included, paid on the day

Glenkinchie and back, as driven. The afternoon tasting is in Edinburgh, so it adds nothing to the drive. Coastline from Natural Earth, roads from OpenStreetMap.

Distance and time come from OpenStreetMap routing and leave out the stops themselves.

Price and inclusions

A clear flat rate, no surprises

✓ Included

Your Edinburgh-based driver-guide for the full day
A comfortable private van, sized to your party
Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation or the cruise port
The distillery visit and the private tasting, booked and confirmed before you travel
Fuel, insurance and tolls

– Not included

The distillery tour and the tasting flight: £15 to £45 per person depending on what you choose
Lunch: there is a good pub stop on the East Lothian run
Bottles you decide to take home, and the shipping if you buy more than you can carry
Tips, welcome if you enjoyed the day and never expected

Flat rate

£650

For the whole party, 1 to 8 travellers.

The price does not change with the size of your party: the same £650 whether you are two or eight. Entry fees are not included and are paid on the day.

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Private to your party, never shared with other travellers
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Prices shown in GBP. Foreign currency equivalents are indicative and updated daily. Contracts and payments are in GBP only. Booking from a US or Canadian address? Read this first.

When to go

The best months for this day

A year-round day: the distilleries work through the winter and the visitor centres stay open, which is not true of every site in the Highlands.

The silent season, when stills are shut down for maintenance, usually falls in summer and varies by distillery. We check it for your date; a silent still is still worth seeing, but you should know before you go rather than after.

What we would not do

Chase a second distilleryThe nearest ones worth the drive are in Perthshire or beyond, two hours and more each way. You would spend the day in the van and taste less, not more.
Drive yourself to a distillery dayScotland's drink-drive limit is 22 micrograms, lower than England's. One dram can put a driver over it. That is the whole reason this day exists.

Questions

Before you book

How much does the private whisky day from Edinburgh cost?

£650 for the whole party, one to eight travellers. The price does not change with the size of your group: the same £650 whether you are two or eight. The distillery tour and the tasting are not included and run from £15 to £45 per person depending on what you choose. All prices in GBP.

Which distillery do we visit?

Glenkinchie, the Edinburgh malt in East Lothian. It is the only working Lowland distillery close enough to Edinburgh to visit properly in a day, so rather than rush a second one we spend the afternoon on a private tasting back in the city, booked for your party alone.

Can everyone in the party taste?

Yes. That is the point of the day. Your driver-guide drives, so nobody has to sit the tastings out. Scotland's drink-drive limit is 22 micrograms per 100 ml of breath, lower than in England, and a single dram can put a driver over it.

Do we need to know about whisky already?

No. Roughly half the parties we take on this day are starting from nothing. Tell us at booking and we ask for an introductory tasting rather than a connoisseur flight, and your driver-guide fills in the rest on the road.

Can we buy bottles and take them home?

Yes, and the distilleries will ship for you if you buy more than your luggage allows. Check your own country's allowance before you buy: the limits on spirits brought into the United States, Canada and Australia are lower than most people assume.

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