The Scotch Whisky Experience
The Scotch Whisky Experience
4.5
Monday
10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Experience for yourself our regional whiskies and whether you like fruity, sweet or smoky flavours our experts will help you select your perfect dram.Enter the vault containing one of the world's largest collection of Scotch Whiskies and enjoy a special tutored nosing and tasting. Explore Scotland's whisky history from the very beginnings through to the global success of today.
Duration: < 1 hour
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Old Town
Few Edinburghers live in the Old Town, but its labyrinth of dank alleys and steep streets suggests this was not always the case. Today, it’s mostly visitors, tartan-flavoured souvenir shops, and pipers that you’ll find on its cobbled streets. This is the place to get a feel for Auld Reekie (Old Smelly), as the town was once nicknamed, and stroll the Royal Mile, the thoroughfare that links the castle with the royal palace – two of Edinburgh’s great set-piece attractions. But there’s lots more exploring to do here down dozens of little alleys, or wynds, while at night the city’s busiest clubs erupt along the Cowgate which is closed to traffic for this purpose.
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See what travellers are saying
- A V32 contributionsReally nice informative experienceI’m not a big whiskey drinker but I absolutely loved this whiskey tour. Our tour guide, Fiona was very welcoming and informative and she explained all the different regions of Scotch whiskies and the best way to drink whiskey to really get a taste for all the different flavours and notes in it. There was a family on the tour with us, and I really liked that they gave the children irn-bru instead of whiskey shots. I recommend getting the gold tickets as you get to try 5 different whiskies instead of just one and if you try the Campbell town whiskey first, you can try all the different regions in the bar later. Highly recommend for any whiskey lover or noviceVisited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 29 October 2023
- Madelyn P14 contributionsGreat introduction to whisky!I’ve never had Scotch whisky before, but this was a really great way to enjoy for the first time! We learned about the different whisky regions of Scotland and got to choose our preferred type for the first sampling. We got to try another dram of blended scotch afterwards as well. I did the silver tour and it was well worth it!Visited October 2023Travelled soloWritten 2 November 2023
- mjMaryland94 contributionsGreat fun but leave the kids at home!This was great fun! Very informative and well presented. The guide was very knowledgeable and engaging. All the whiskey was great and being able to taste and share our thoughts with some lovely couples made it a great experience. The reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is due to the fact they allow small children on the tour! This is not a place for kids, especially noisy and whiny toddlers. Beyond that, I would highly recommend scheduling a tour and enjoy some of Scotland’s best.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 2 November 2023
- Amy WLeeds, United Kingdom27 contributionsFantastic experience!My husband and I had a fantastic time on our Platinum tour! Our guide, Kev, was incredibly knowledgable, passionate and funny - he really made our experience! We learnt a lot about the making of Scotch whiskeys and how to properly taste them too. The collection of unopened whiskeys was really interesting. I would absolutely recommend the experience if visiting Edinburgh!Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 5 November 2023
- Lee20XIBlackpool, United Kingdom32 contributionsScottish whisky experienceReally interesting and a nice visual experience, lots of knowledge gained about the different regions to be able to take forward into the future. Zach was excellent with the group and answered all questions asked. Had the gold tour with a good selection of whiskys provided.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 15 November 2023
- Beth MSheffield, United Kingdom178 contributionsFab for a whiskey lover!My husband really likes whiskey so we decided to go on a whiskey tour! Our tour guide Jim was amazing and a lovely guy to chat to! His whitty humour really kept us interested (and at times I have a short attention span!) each individual room was excellently themed and we even loved the extras! Even under 18s got some Irn bru! All in all it’s a great experience:)Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 18 November 2023
- Vladimír J6 contributionsBeautiful place, nice staff and magnificent liquid. A must see for every whisky lover.Great presentation that connects beautiful visual and very informative content. Our guide Corin was kind and well informed, glad to answer any question. The"vault" - one of the greatest whisky collection was spectacular to see and the best place to enjoy the glass of whisky. Easy 5/5.Visited November 2023Travelled soloWritten 19 November 2023
- Simone M2 contributionsLoved it, want to go back!I went with my family for a silver tour and our tour guide Sy was incredible and so full of life, they were very knowledgeable and kept the whole group engaged. The venue was incredible and the set up of the tour was great! Highly recommend, and if you get a tour with Sy you are lucky!Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten 30 November 2023
- GemmaY98Wiltshire, United Kingdom127 contributionsEssential experience in EdinburghOur guide Jordan was amazing - she was very well spoken and you could tell she was well practiced in leading the tour. It was very interactive and engaging, and we loved seeing all the old whiskies. Great value for money.Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 6 December 2023
- simon mQueenstown, New Zealand49 contributionsWell worth itGreat experience. We booked the platinum tour and would 100% recommend. Well worth the price. Our tour guide was Kev and he was amazing. Answered questions and was friendly and knowledgeable. Made the experience fun and enjoyable. A credit to his role. Ever suggested some distillery’s for us to try when we leave Edinburgh.Visited December 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 6 December 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
7,453 reviews
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480
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RegionalRoadie
Jersey City, NJ213 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
The Morning Masterclass with our host Lucy was a brilliant way to sample a nice range of scotch from grain to cask strength varieties. Lucy was a great host and conducted the tasting and tour of The Collection in a very relaxed manner. She’s really an excellent host/guide and her appreciation for not only scotch as a drink but the larger part it plays in their heritage is very apparent.
As someone that’s taken the Tour of SWE twice before, I recommend the Morning Masterclass for those who want to cut to the chase of tasting or simply know enough about scotch production and history to value skipping the tour.
The tasting area has great views of the cityscape too. Toss in four drams of good variety, good conversion, tea, and shortbread and all in all it’s a great way to justify having drinks before noon.
As someone that’s taken the Tour of SWE twice before, I recommend the Morning Masterclass for those who want to cut to the chase of tasting or simply know enough about scotch production and history to value skipping the tour.
The tasting area has great views of the cityscape too. Toss in four drams of good variety, good conversion, tea, and shortbread and all in all it’s a great way to justify having drinks before noon.
Written 29 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rob R
Tredegar, UK2,631 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
Very informative visit explaining the whole process of whisky making from grain to bottling the final product.
Explaining the different regions and the varying tastes of whisky from these regions.
We booked the silver tour which you sampled one dram at the end of your tour and was an hour in duration which is plenty of time for an introduction to the world of whisky.
The aficionados may want to book the premium tours
Explaining the different regions and the varying tastes of whisky from these regions.
We booked the silver tour which you sampled one dram at the end of your tour and was an hour in duration which is plenty of time for an introduction to the world of whisky.
The aficionados may want to book the premium tours
Written 31 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
alex w
Doncaster, UK8 contributions
Mar 2022
The tour consist of a short audio/visual ride in a barrel followed by a video explanation of the whisky producing regions and special traits of each. The tour concludes with a tour guide, Chris does a fantastic job of answering questions while showing the private collection of over 3500 whiskies, Ho, and by the way the all important tasting. It's a good tour (we were on the Silver option) which last approx 50mins and is worth the cost.
Written 1 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bethany L
England, UK114 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
What a great attraction ! It is about £17 per person for the silver tour and lasts about 75 minutes. Great introduction into whisky (I personally dislike the fast). The staff are very nice and knowledgeable. The sensory tour is about 8 minutes and very fun and interesting for all ages. Our tour guide was Fliss and she was really nice and made it very funny and interesting. She defiantly knew her stuff and came across as passionate. The tasting experience is very interesting and they do off a non alcoholic alternative and they do offer headsets for other languages. The whiskey collection is very impressive. Well worth visiting as very interactive!
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rebecca H
Shifnal, UK7 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Interesting and informative tour and our guide John was very knowledgable. However, our first impressions were not good at all. The young lady at the desk who we bought tickets from was rude and disinterested. She was rude to us and while waiting for the tour to start, we overheard her telling people enquiring about tickets and asking her for information to ‘look online’. Maybe some training in customer service and basic politeness wouldn’t go amiss.... Everyone else was helpful, knowledgeable and friendly so it was a shame our first impression was not a good one.
Written 13 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to write this review. We will pass on your kind comments to John, pleased to hear you found the tour informative and interesting. We are sorry that you felt that you received bad customer service at our box office, we pride ourselves on our 5-star customer service and so are disappointed to hear this. We will certainly look into it. Many thanks - The Scotch Whisky Exp
Written 14 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Carol J
Chester, UK20 contributions
Apr 2022
Booked this tour and just so happened to be on a day when the weather in Edinburgh was awful and I think this is why visit was average going on poor. I don't think the staff can cope with the number of people who book on the tour on the day to get out of the rain.
We were on a timed your at 16.35 yet had to queue to join the experience. The barrel ride is a bit cheesy but the scenic cinema experience and the brief talk made up for it. When we moved into the rooms to look at the collection it was hard to move around and get a good look. Also the guide rarely spoke and I would've thought there would be plenty to say when you have 3500 bottles of whisky in a collection worth millions.
We had bought the gold tour which meant we moved into a tasting room to try 4 more whiskies. We were left alone without any explanation, I had expected another talk or the opportunity to ask questions in relation to earlier parts of the tour. The guide and the barman were trying to clear the tables to allow more gold tour customers in. We decided not to bother asking for mixers or if we could order some food because it all felt so rushed.
Think the tour needed to be a bit more intimate, with smaller groups to fully get the chance to appreciate what can be viewed. Also think they run far too frequently so that too much pressure is on the staff to move people through quicker. On days where the weather is awful the pressure is impossible and paying customers do not get value for money.
We were on a timed your at 16.35 yet had to queue to join the experience. The barrel ride is a bit cheesy but the scenic cinema experience and the brief talk made up for it. When we moved into the rooms to look at the collection it was hard to move around and get a good look. Also the guide rarely spoke and I would've thought there would be plenty to say when you have 3500 bottles of whisky in a collection worth millions.
We had bought the gold tour which meant we moved into a tasting room to try 4 more whiskies. We were left alone without any explanation, I had expected another talk or the opportunity to ask questions in relation to earlier parts of the tour. The guide and the barman were trying to clear the tables to allow more gold tour customers in. We decided not to bother asking for mixers or if we could order some food because it all felt so rushed.
Think the tour needed to be a bit more intimate, with smaller groups to fully get the chance to appreciate what can be viewed. Also think they run far too frequently so that too much pressure is on the staff to move people through quicker. On days where the weather is awful the pressure is impossible and paying customers do not get value for money.
Written 15 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VivendaLuiza
417 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Last visited last century! Certainly changed a fair bit from last visit.
Like any tourist attraction it moves to change with the times. Barrel ride is a clever way to take you through the way whisky is made in the language of choice. The visuals of how grain whisky is made is very clever, here you sit and look to a focal bottle. Now you only get to sample one whisky region whereas previous you got to stand round a table and sample each region and compare, which is a pity.
There was a young lady who’s name I did not catch/recall but she spent a good half hour in conversation with us and she was not only delightful to talk to but knowledgeable on whisky and whiskeys.
The staff in general are superb and helpful
The worlds largest unopened whisky collection is awesome if not phenomenal. If I have one negative of the tour / experience it’s that you are not given a lot of time in this room. There are some really old whiskies and great to see it here in Scotland where is should be and on display for the public - thank you Diageo
Like any tourist attraction it moves to change with the times. Barrel ride is a clever way to take you through the way whisky is made in the language of choice. The visuals of how grain whisky is made is very clever, here you sit and look to a focal bottle. Now you only get to sample one whisky region whereas previous you got to stand round a table and sample each region and compare, which is a pity.
There was a young lady who’s name I did not catch/recall but she spent a good half hour in conversation with us and she was not only delightful to talk to but knowledgeable on whisky and whiskeys.
The staff in general are superb and helpful
The worlds largest unopened whisky collection is awesome if not phenomenal. If I have one negative of the tour / experience it’s that you are not given a lot of time in this room. There are some really old whiskies and great to see it here in Scotland where is should be and on display for the public - thank you Diageo
Written 15 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cameron R
27 contributions
Sept 2021
What an absolutely fantastic experience. I'm a big fan of whisky, as well as my friend who I went with, but we came away having learned a lot more about whisky than we did. We did the 'Taste of Scotland' tour which is the Platinum tour experience with a three course meal in the beautiful Amber restaurant afterward.
The staff were all very friendly and nice. Lucy N, our tour guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and made the whole experience so much better. She gave everyone her undivided attention and really made us feel special. She is very knowledgeable about whisky - name a whisky and she'd be able to speak to you about it which is a real feat.
The tour itself was fantastic. You first sit in a whisky barrel and are taken through the process of making whisky. The aroma room was also a fantastic show. Going through the largest collection of whisky in the world was also really something. Then the whisky tasting itself was fantastic and Lucy's knowledge and passion really came through here. We got to try 4 malts and a blend on this tour.
The three course meal in the restaurant was also phenomenal - a trio of Scottish starters, a trio of Scottish mains, and dessert paired with a Balvenie 12 year old - a perfect end. Billy, the manager of the restaurant, was also great to chat too and very knowledgeable too.
All in all, a fantastic experience and really well done, with the knowledge and passion of staff shining through.
Thank you everyone, but especially Lucy and Billy.
The staff were all very friendly and nice. Lucy N, our tour guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and made the whole experience so much better. She gave everyone her undivided attention and really made us feel special. She is very knowledgeable about whisky - name a whisky and she'd be able to speak to you about it which is a real feat.
The tour itself was fantastic. You first sit in a whisky barrel and are taken through the process of making whisky. The aroma room was also a fantastic show. Going through the largest collection of whisky in the world was also really something. Then the whisky tasting itself was fantastic and Lucy's knowledge and passion really came through here. We got to try 4 malts and a blend on this tour.
The three course meal in the restaurant was also phenomenal - a trio of Scottish starters, a trio of Scottish mains, and dessert paired with a Balvenie 12 year old - a perfect end. Billy, the manager of the restaurant, was also great to chat too and very knowledgeable too.
All in all, a fantastic experience and really well done, with the knowledge and passion of staff shining through.
Thank you everyone, but especially Lucy and Billy.
Written 17 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
amyp_1984
Leeds, UK8 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Great afternoon spent at the Scottish Whisky Experience. Peter, our guide, was really knowledgeable and able to recommend some very delicious whiskies for us to taste after the tour with our personal tastes in mind. We had a great time. Would definitely recommend it.
Written 4 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aristocats To Avallon
22 contributions
Oct 2020 • Friends
This was a very fun afternoon. The tour starts out with a ride like an amusement park, then you join the others on the tour for a brief film about 5 areas of whisky production in Scotland. Thereafter you walk through the building and the guide explains the process and the differences in the whiskies. Then the best part - the tasting. We did the Gold Tour which gave us 5 tastes. Definitely the way to go! My daughter and I learned a lot, and it was interesting how our palates differed.
Afterwards we decided to have dinner in their restaurant and we were not disappointed. The whole experience is very much worth doing!
Afterwards we decided to have dinner in their restaurant and we were not disappointed. The whole experience is very much worth doing!
Written 15 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Please would someone be able to tell me how long the tour takes just trying to fit everything in on the quick visit to Edinburgh.
Written 3 October 2021
It depends on which tour you choose. Our really fabulous tour was around 90 minutes I think (platinum tour).
Written 4 October 2021
Does this require a booking in advance or can you just turn up? What time is the first tour?
Written 15 July 2021
It does require booking in advance cos of COVID I think. I can’t remember when the first tour was will tell you online they run them all day.
Written 19 July 2021
We would like to do the taste of Scotland package on 17th August but doing the zoo in the day, what is the last time slot you can do the tour and the restaurant? Site says tours 11-5.30 but does that mean stops @ 5.30 or last tour at 5.30? We would like plenty of time for the zoo, to change at the hotel and then come for the tour and restaurant tasting
Written 12 July 2020
Bonjour,
J’aimerai savoir si le tour est accessible aux enfants nous accompagnant (2 ans) ?
Bien à vous
Written 4 February 2020
Hi At the tasting room do they allow you to choose which whiskey to taste or is it poured in advance ? If I want a whiskey not mixed with wine or aged in sherry or wine caskets may I ask?
Written 20 November 2019
Hi - daily we have a choice of five regional single malt whiskies and a blended Scotch whisky. Some may have had a finishing maturation in different types of casks, but there is always a choice of this within the six selected whiskies of the day for the Silver Tour. I hope you enjoy whatever you choose! Slainte! Julie
Written 13 December 2019
We are visiting in a few weeks, do we need to book or do you offer walk ins for tours?
Written 1 October 2019
At this time of year, out of the main peak you probably wouldn't need to book.
However, if you want to guarantee your place on a particular tour/experience it could be worth ringing ahead to check availability.
Hope this helps!
Written 3 October 2019
Per their website, they only ship to the UK.
Written 13 August 2019
I have a group of 8 looking to come on a Saturday. We don’t know what time though. Can we just show up and get a tour or do we need to purchase tickets in advance? We will likely do the gold tour.
Written 2 May 2019
Hi Stuart, we tend to advise booking in advance if you're a larger group (and if there's availability online), but you can just show up without a booking. After around 2pm there's a wee bit of a queue but if you're with us before 4pm we should be able to get you on tour. Saturdays during peak season (April-September) are always pretty busy but we run more regular tours on those days, so the wait isn't too bad.
Hope that helps! Call us on the day if it's easier and we can advise on wait times.
Written 3 May 2019
We bought bottle of whiskey a few days ago but not receive a tax claim form. Can you advise if I can claim tax refund on this purchase as we will be leaving from London in May
Written 29 April 2019
Hi Betty, apologies for the delayed reply. Yes, you should be able to claim the tax back on your purchase as long as you have the original receipt. Claim forms are usually available at the airport (before you check in your hold baggage), and with the receipt you can claim it back - all of our VAT details and company information are on the receipt itself. Hope that helps, enjoy the rest of your stay.
Written 3 May 2019
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