Bonnington Distillery (Crabbie’s), Leith: Reviving John Crabbie
Bonnington (Crabbie’s) at a glance
| Region | Lowland (Leith, Edinburgh) |
| Founded | 2020 |
| Owner | Halewood (John Crabbie & Co) |
| Visitor centre | Limited — working distillery, not a full centre |
| Tours | By arrangement |
| Opening | Limited — check the website |
| Website | crabbiewhisky.com |
Overview
Bonnington, in Leith, revives the historic name of John Crabbie & Co — a firm that dates to 1801 and was once a great force in Edinburgh whisky. The distillery began production in 2020 and released its first single malt in 2024, bottled under the Crabbie’s name.
The history
John Crabbie & Co was a famous 19th-century Leith blender and whisky merchant. The name was revived by Halewood, who built a new distillery on the site of the old Bonnington House in Leith, distilling from 2020 — part of the wider revival of distilling in the port.
The water & the land
Bonnington draws on a 147-metre-deep borehole into the aquifer beneath its Leith site.
Bonnington has no clan link — it revives the Crabbie name (est. 1801) on the historic Bonnington House ground in Leith, Edinburgh’s old spirits port.
Visiting
Bonnington is a working distillery rather than a full visitor attraction — visits are limited and by arrangement; check the website. Nearby Port of Leith is the big visitor draw in the docks.
Nearby & more whisky
- Also in Leith: Port of Leith
- Edinburgh’s other new malt: Holyrood
- The whole picture: Scotch whisky — the full guide
Sources
- Bonnington distillery — Wikipedia.
- John Crabbie & Co / Halewood.