Port Of Leith whisky distillery

Rising above Leith’s historic docks on Edinburgh’s Firth of Forth, Port of Leith is the UK’s first vertical whisky distillery - a striking nine-storey tower beside the Royal Yacht Britannia. Conceived by Edinburgh school friends Ian Stirling and Paddy Fletcher, the distillery brings whisky production back to Leith for the first time in decades. The waterfront setting looks across to Fife and out to open water; gulls, salt air and ship traffic are part of the daily soundtrack.

Leith itself has whisky in its bones. Once a powerhouse of blending, warehousing and bottling, the district helped launch many famous names. Port of Leith’s modern design nods to that heritage while solving a very practical problem: space. By stacking the process top-to-bottom, the distillery makes a compact urban plot work hard - and gives visitors cinematic views of the city along the way.

House Style

No official distillery-bottled single malt is out yet, but the production choices point to a clean, fruit-led spirit: bright orchard fruit and citrus from long, carefully managed fermentations; gentle maritime notes from the coastal location; and texture from precise cut points. Any smoke is expected to be minimal, used for nuance rather than dominance.

Production

The site is engineered around a gravity-fed, vertical layout. Ingredients and wort move from higher floors to lower ones, reducing pumping needs and packing the full process into a compact urban tower.

• Milling & Mashing: Carried out on upper floors; worts drop to fermenters below.
• Fermentation: Stainless steel washbacks with a focus on yeast selection and longer ferments to build esters for a fruit-forward spirit.
• Stills: A traditional pair of copper pot stills (approx. 7,000 L wash; 5,000 L spirit) crafted by The Speyside Copper Works, sit on the lower production floors for safe access and efficient services.
• Cuts & character: Narrow, quality-first cut points aimed at texture and clarity rather than phenolic heft.
• Maturation: Early casks are resting off-site in bonded warehouses, with a programme built around first-fill ex-bourbon, selected sherry and occasional wine casks to reflect Leith’s historic wine trade.
• Sustainability: The vertical flow cuts energy use from pumping; modern heat recovery and process controls further reduce the footprint.

Visitor Centre

Features guided tours, a shop, and a top-floor bar with panoramic views across the Forth.

Port of Leith factsheet