Holyrood Distillery, Edinburgh: Malt Whisky Back in the Capital

Overview

Holyrood was the first new malt whisky distillery in Edinburgh for nearly a hundred years. It stands in the Victorian goods shed of the old St Leonards railway station, at the foot of Arthur’s Seat. It was founded by Rob and Kelly Carpenter with David Robertson, a former Macallan master distiller, and opened to visitors in 2019. It is known for experiments with heritage barley and unusual yeasts, including sake and Mexican lager strains. Its first single malt, Arrival, came out in October 2023, and in 2025 Holyrood was named Distiller of the Year at the World Whiskies Awards.

Where it is

The distillery is on St Leonard’s Lane in Edinburgh’s Southside, a few minutes’ walk from Holyrood Park and about 15 minutes on foot from the Royal Mile. The old railway line, the “Innocent Railway”, now a cycle path, runs from beside the distillery through a tunnel under the park.

The full history

Edinburgh’s lost distilleries

Edinburgh and Leith once had many distilleries, but the last ones closed in the 20th century, and the capital became a city of blenders and bonded warehouses rather than stills. Holyrood brought malt distilling back.

The engine shed

St Leonards was the Edinburgh terminus of the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway, the “Innocent Railway” of the 1830s, which carried coal into the city. Its stone goods shed belonged to the City of Edinburgh Council. In 2015 the council approved the Holyrood team’s bid to lease it, and planning permission followed in 2016. Building started in 2018 after the company raised £5.8 million from the Scottish National Investment Bank and private investors. Holyrood opened to the public in 2019.

Experiments and Arrival

While the whisky matured, Holyrood made gin, including Height of Arrows (2021). From 2022 its Strong Waters series of new-make spirits explored heritage barleys such as Golden Promise and Chevalier, and later yeasts from sake brewing and Mexican lager. The first single malt, Arrival, was released in October 2023. In 2024 it offered a week of free tours for its fifth birthday, and in 2025 it was named Distiller of the Year at the World Whiskies Awards.

How it’s made

Holyrood is a small craft distillery with one wash still and one spirit still. It is built for experimentation: different barleys, yeasts, fermentation times and casks give a wide range of spirit styles, rather than a single house style.

Kings, queens & clans

• The Palace of Holyroodhouse, a 10-minute walk away, is the King’s official residence in Scotland. It grew from the guest house of Holyrood Abbey, founded by David I in 1128. Here in 1566 Mary, Queen of Scots’ secretary David Rizzio was murdered in front of her. See Clan Stewart.
• Craigmillar Castle, 2 miles south-east, is where Mary’s nobles plotted the death of her husband, Lord Darnley, in 1566.
• Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile: see our Edinburgh guide.

Churches, lochs & the park

• Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano and the highest point in Holyrood Park, rises directly above the distillery. A climb to the top takes about 45 minutes.
• Duddingston Kirk, one of the oldest churches in Edinburgh still in use, parts of which date from the 12th century, stands above Duddingston Loch on the far side of the park. See our lochs guide.
• St Margaret’s Loch and the ruined St Anthony’s Chapel are in the park too.
• For carved stones and ancient sites, see our standing stones guide.

Visiting

Holyrood offers daily whisky and gin tours, tastings and a bar. Book ahead on the distillery’s website, especially in festival season. It’s an easy walk from the Royal Mile.

Nearby distilleries

• Bonnington, Leith (about 2.5 miles).
• Port of Leith (about 3 miles).
• Glenkinchie, East Lothian (about 15 miles), with tours.
• Falkirk (about 25 miles).

The Edinburgh & Forth Whisky Trail and the whisky hub cover the region.

Sources

• Holyrood Distillery — Wikipedia.
• Holyrood Distillery, official site.