Holyrood Distillery opened in July 2019 in a former railway goods shed on the edge of Holyrood Park, the first working single malt distillery in central Edinburgh since 1925.1,2,3 It has made its spirit from heritage and specialty malts more often found in beer making, with yeasts from beer, wine and sake.4,5 In 2026 Holyrood said it had paused whisky production for the time being.6,7,8
Very good review score, 85 out of 100Very good85/100
Vinous and fairly unique, it brings bright raspberry and blackcurrant, vanilla, clove and a brandy-like edge, finishing with dark fruits and brown sugar.
Very good review score, 86 out of 100Very good86/100
Fruity sweetness, bright sparkle and a pleasant tart note make this a distinctive dram that grew on the reviewer into a firm favourite.
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By Ruben
2019Today
A railway goods shed
The building was a goods shed and terminus for the Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway, which carried coal into Edinburgh.9,10,11 The distillery dates it to 1835, Historic Environment Scotland to about 1840, and several news reports to 1831.9,10,11 It is a Category B listed building, which gives it legal protection for its special architectural or historic interest.3,11,12
1831: Whisky Magazine, ScotchWhisky.com, The Drinks Business, The Scotsman1,13,17,22
From idea to opening
Rob Carpenter, who had founded the Canadian branch of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society with his wife Kelly, first had the idea in 2013.1,13 In August 2015 the City of Edinburgh Council agreed to lease its Engine Shed building to the Holyrood Park Distillery project.3,14,15 David Robertson, a former master distiller at The Macallan, was behind the plans.3,14,15 In July 2017 the company named Jack Mayo, who had spent three years at Glasgow Distillery, as master distiller.2,16 At the opening he was to run spirit production as distillery manager and head distiller.2,16 Building work began in May 2018, after the company secured an additional £5.8 million, including £1.5m from the Scottish Investment Bank and money from 60 private investors.
Tall stills, run hot
It has one wash still for the first distillation and one spirit still for the second.3 The copper stills are tall and slender, and at 7m the team say they are the tallest in Scotland for their volume.1,10,12 Speyside Copper Works made them, and David Robertson said they are tall partly to suit the planned spirit styles and partly to fit the building.1,10,12 It has a capacity of about 250,000 litres of alcohol a year.2,10 Calum Rae joined in 2021 as a senior distiller and later became distillery manager.12 The very tall stills give the spirit fruity notes, and Rae likes to run them hot for an oily character.5
Brewing malts and old barleys
Its malts include heritage barleys such as Maris Otter, and amber, chocolate and crystal malts.4,5 In January 2023 Heriot-Watt University said its brewing and distilling centre was working with Holyrood to test at least eight heritage barley varieties over six years.20 One of them, Chevallier, was the most popular barley in Britain for 100 years before it fell out of favour.20
Production paused
Rob Carpenter said the pause did not mean the business was closing, and the visitor centre stayed open for tours and tastings.6,7,8
Next: Brewing malts and old barleys, Production paused
Releases by year
Bottles in Peated distilled at Holyrood Distillery, by release year.
3
3
1
4
1
20222026
Bottles by year distilled
Year distilled
Bottles
2022
3
2023
3
2024
1
2025
4
2026
1
3 bottles without a year aren't shown.
Sources
22 sources. Something wrong? Report it from the menu at the top of the page.
The team planned a spirit still with a retort, a part usually found in rum distilling, to make a more complex spirit.1,2,3
In September 2019 it ran its first spirit distillation, after a week of first mashes, fermentations and distillations of the wash, the fermented beer.19
