Whisky Tasting in Edinburgh: The Best Experiences for Groups

You cannot come to Scotland's capital and not drink the national drink properly at least once. A whisky tasting is also a rare bit of the weekend that everyone enjoys, even the members of the group who arrived swearing they hate the stuff. Here is how a group can do it, from fully organised to do-it-yourself. Everything here is 18-plus, obviously.

The easy option: a tasting we run

Our whisky tasting is led by someone who makes it a laugh rather than a lecture, and we slot it straight into your weekend. If you would rather see it made, our distillery visit takes you behind the scenes. Both are booked for you, so there is nothing to organise.

The big whisky experiences

• The Scotch Whisky Experience on Castlehill runs a barrel-ride tour through the whisky regions and a tasting, and it takes groups up to around 25. A proper crowd-pleaser.
• Johnnie Walker Princes Street is eight floors of immersive whisky with two rooftop bars and castle views, which makes it as much a celebration as a tasting. Book ahead for a group.

A working distillery in the city

• Holyrood Distillery, just off the Royal Mile, is a real whisky and gin distillery you can tour in about an hour, with cocktail and after-dark formats that suit a group.

For a quieter dram

If you just want to drink good whisky in a good room, the old malt bars are the move.

• The Bow Bar near the Grassmarket pours 300-plus single malts with no music or machines to get in the way.
• Whiski Rooms by The Mound runs daily group tastings if you want a bit of structure with your drams.

Build it into the weekend

A tasting is a great Saturday warm-up before the night out. We can fold it into a package with the rest of the trip. Get a quote or talk to a planner.