Small-batch spirits in the Old Town vaults, guided tastings from Edinburgh's micro-distillery.
Hand-picked by our editors — only the best 3 gin tasting experiences from 12 reviewed.
Verified partners for Gin Tasting Edinburgh tours, free cancellation where available, and instant confirmation on every booking.
1 hr 30 min
Journey through Edinburgh's most decorated gin distillery with tastings, cocktails, and behind-the-scenes access.
Reserve
1 hr 15 min
Go behind the scenes at an award-winning distillery, see copper stills in action, and taste six gins.
Reserve
1 hr
Discover gin's evolution through four tastings in Edinburgh's hidden subterranean venue
ReservePrices from verified partners. Availability updates in real time at checkout. Free cancellation policies apply where shown.
The landmarks, rooms, and views travelers on Gin Tasting Edinburgh tours remember — all visible on a single visit.
Witness two stunning 50L copper pot stills that produce award-winning South Loch Gin on-site.
An exclusive, intimate space dedicated to exploring unique botanical profiles and gin-making history.
Scotland's first dedicated gin bar with over 300 spirits and a vibrant, historic atmosphere.
The nearby historic park that inspired the name of the South Loch Distillery.
An educational area showcasing the fresh ingredients used in the distillation process.
Every Gin Tasting Edinburgh tour side-by-side — duration, what's included, how you redeem.
| Experience | Duration | Rating | Guide | Small group | Free cancel. | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Standard Entry Most popular
South Loch Distillery Gin Experience
|
1 hr 30 min | ★ 4.9 | — | — | ✓ | €28 | Book → |
|
Standard Entry
Edinburgh Gin Distillery Tour & Tasting
|
1 hr 15 min | ★ 4.8 | ✓ | — | ✓ | €28 | Book → |
|
Standard Entry
Underground Gin Tasting Journey
|
1 hr | ★ 4.8 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | €31 | Book → |
All prices from verified partners. Availability and exact terms confirmed at checkout.
South Loch offers an intimate, hands-on craft perspective, whereas the Edinburgh Gin Distillery provides a comprehensive, brand-led showcase for those seeking professional gin tasting edinburgh tours.
| Feature | Top pick South Loch Distillery | Edinburgh Gin Distillery |
|---|---|---|
Atmosphere |
Intimate and casual bar setting | |
Scale |
Micro-distillery operation | |
Production Focus |
Small-batch botanical experimentation | |
Tasting Format |
Guided flight of craft spirits | |
Primary Experience |
Immersive distillery floor access | |
| See tickets → |
Verdict: Choose South Loch for a personalized look at independent production, or select the Edinburgh Gin Distillery for a polished, large-scale gin tasting edinburgh tour that highlights industrial-standard distilling.
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Arrive at the entrance, show your voucher on your phone, and walk in. Most tickets include priority or skip-the-line access.
Practical details for Gin Tasting Edinburgh tickets straight from our verified partners — hours, access, rules, and how to get there.
2 West Crosscauseway, Edinburgh
Enter through the main bar and speak to our staff
Open in Google MapsUse local bus routes to Newington or walk 15 minutes from Edinburgh Waverley
Casual attire is perfectly acceptable for all gin tasting edinburgh experiences at 56 North. We recommend comfortable footwear as you move between the bar and distillery areas.
Large bags should be kept to a minimum as space in the 56 North distillery area is limited. Security checks may be conducted upon arrival for all guests.
Photography is encouraged during your gin tasting edinburgh tour, especially near the copper stills. Please be mindful of other guests when taking photos in the bar.
Due to the historic layout of 56 North, the tasting room is not wheelchair accessible. Please contact our team ahead of your visit for specific guidance regarding access.
Mobile phones are permitted. Keep ringer off inside exhibition spaces.
This gin tasting edinburgh experience is strictly for adults aged 18 and over. We operate a Challenge 25 policy, so please bring valid photo ID.
Your ticket includes a welcome G&T, three gin samples, and a cocktail during the session. You may book a table at 56 North to enjoy additional dining options post-tour.
Pets are not allowed, with the exception of service animals with appropriate documentation.
Last entry is typically 1 hour before closing. Check the specific ticket for timing.
2 West Crosscauseway, Edinburgh
Enter through the main bar and speak to our staff
Get directionsBest time to go, insider tips, nearby landmarks, and the cancellation fine print — flip through to skim what matters to you.
How crowds, weather, and events shift across the year.
Ideal for visiting the gin garden and enjoying the outdoor spaces of 56 North during warmer evenings. Prices and availability for gin tasting edinburgh remain consistent.
Small details that turn a good visit into a great one.
Weekends are high-demand times for gin tasting edinburgh, so ensure you reserve your spot early.
Non-bookable sights within a short walk — free to visit, easy to pair.
A historic public park providing a green escape near the distillery.
Flexible, no hidden fees.
All ticket sales for South Loch Distillery gin tasting edinburgh tours are final. Cancellations or modifications are not permitted.
Hand-picked options within walking distance — pick a district for vibe, or a specific hotel for convenience.
Elegant hotel located near the Meadows.
Edinburgh's craft gin renaissance began not in a repurposed warehouse but in the stone vaults beneath the Old Town, where 56° North Distillery installed its copper pot stills in 2018.
The distillery takes its name from the city's latitude and sources botanicals from across Scotland — juniper from the Highlands, sea kelp from the Hebrides, milk thistle from the Borders. Production runs total fewer than 2,000 bottles per batch, each one distilled, filtered, and hand-labelled on West Crosscauseway.
The gin tasting edinburgh scene expanded rapidly after 2015, when Scottish licensing reforms allowed micro-distilleries to operate within city limits. 56° North was among the first to open its distillation floor to the public, offering 60-minute guided tours that walk visitors through the maceration, distillation, and blending processes. The distillery's signature expression, a London Dry variant with citrus and heather notes, won a silver medal at the International Wine & Spirit Competition in 2021. A newer release, infused with Scottish raspberries and rose, has become a fixture on Edinburgh cocktail menus.
Visitors enter through a street-level tasting room fitted with reclaimed oak and industrial lighting. The distillation chamber occupies a converted stone cellar one floor below, its ceiling arched in the Georgian style common to this stretch of the Southside. Two 200-litre copper stills dominate the space, flanked by maceration tanks and a hand-operated bottling line. Tours include a sensory station where guests nose raw botanicals before sampling three finished gins, each poured at room temperature to reveal its aromatic profile. The experience concludes with a guided tasting of the distillery's seasonal release, which rotates quarterly.
Gin tasting edinburgh tickets grant access to the full distillation floor, tasting room, and a take-home tasting card detailing the botanical breakdown of each spirit sampled. The distillery operates daily from midday, with tours departing hourly until 20:00. Evening slots fill quickly during festival season — August through September — when the Old Town draws peak visitor traffic. Booking ahead secures a place on the quieter afternoon tours, when the distillers are often on-site and available to answer technical questions about cut points, still temperatures, and botanical ratios.
"Production runs total fewer than 2,000 bottles per batch, each one distilled, filtered, and hand-labelled on West Crosscauseway."
A step-by-step walkthrough of Gin Tasting Edinburgh tickets — what you'll see, how long each stage takes, and the details that matter.
You descend a narrow stone stair from West Crosscauseway into a vaulted chamber where two copper stills catch the overhead light. Your guide, often one of the distillers, hands you a strip of blotter paper and invites you to nose the raw juniper berries piled in a ceramic bowl.
The scent is resinous, sharp, unmistakably piney. You move through the sensory station — milk thistle, coriander seed, dried citrus peel — each botanical isolated so you can trace its signature in the finished gin.
The distillation floor is compact, no larger than a standard living room, its stone walls unadorned except for a hand-drawn botanical chart. The lead distiller explains the vapour path through the column still, the temperature thresholds that separate heads from hearts, the decision tree behind each cut. You watch the spirit trickle from the condenser into a glass cylinder, clear and faintly aromatic.
Upstairs, three pours await on a wooden tray: the flagship London Dry, the raspberry-rose infusion, and the current seasonal release. You taste each neat, no ice, letting the gin coat your palate before the botanicals resolve into distinct notes. The guide walks you through the flavour wheel printed on your tasting card. The tour closes with a voucher for the tasting room bar, where you can order a full-sized cocktail and linger over the distillery's back catalogue.
South Loch Distillery is open 12:00–23:00 Mon–Thu/Sun and until 00:00 on Fri/Sat.
The tasting room at 56 North is not wheelchair accessible; please contact us for guidance.
No, this experience is strictly for those 18 and over; we operate a Challenge 25 policy.
Please bring a valid photo ID and your booking confirmation for your gin tasting edinburgh visit.
The distillery is located at 56 North, 2 West Crosscauseway; it is easily accessible by local buses.
Yes, the Meadows and the National Museum of Scotland are both within a short walk of the distillery.
It is recommended to book in advance as weekend gin tasting edinburgh slots fill up quickly.
The gin tasting edinburgh tour typically lasts 60-90 minutes.
Yes, you are welcome to take photos of the distillery area and your drinks during the gin tasting edinburgh tour.
