Tag: Port of Leith Distillery

Thrill seekers wanted: Abseil 100ft down Scotland’s tallest distillery for Children First

Have you ever fancied abseiling off the UK’s tallest whisky distillery? Now is your chance to take on a sky-high challenge for a great cause – raising vital funds to protect Scotland’s children.

Scotland’s national children’s charity, Children First has limited spaces available to descend 100ft down Scotland’s first ever vertical distillery, Port of Leith Distillery in Edinburgh on Sunday 11th May.

The unique experience gives participants fantastic views across Edinburgh’s skyline and the historic Royal Yacht Britannia.

Funds raised from the event will go towards supporting Children First’s work to protect children from harm and to support them to recover from trauma and abuse. The charity helps children, their families and the people that care for them by offering emotional, practical, and financial support.

Michelle Supple, director or fundraising, marketing and communications at Children First, said: “We’re very excited to offer Children First supporters the chance to take part in this brand-new fundraising event.

“It provides a unique opportunity to see Edinburgh’s landscape from a different angle while abseiling down the Port of Leith Distillery.

“All children should have hopes, dreams and opportunities. But, for many they don’t exist. At Children First we work with families, funders, supporters, partners and volunteers to protect all Scotland’s children. Every penny raised from this fantastic event will help to transform children’s lives and give them a brighter future.

“Our fundraising team are on hand to support you every step of the way to make a difference for Scotland’s children and young people.”

Event details:

  • Date: Sunday 11th May 2025
  • Location: Port of Leith Distillery, 11 Whisky Quay, EH6 6FH
  • Registration Fee: £20
  • Minimum fundraising target: £200
  • Age requirement: Participants must be aged 11 years and older
  • Weight limit: Participants must weigh under 120kg

For further details, and to register for your place, visit the Children First website at:
https://childrenfirst.org.uk/get-involved/events/port-of-leith-distillery-abseil-2025/ or contact the fundraising team at fundraising@childrenfirst.org.uk

Only way is up as Port of Leith Distillery project completes

Whisky fans are invited to scale new heights as the UK’s first vertical distillery, Port of Leith, opens its tour bookings and reveals first-look images of the finished interior ahead of opening to the public on Wednesday October 11th.

More than a decade since the ‘pipe-dream’ idea was first conceived by wine merchant Ian Stirling and finance director Paddy Fletcher over a dram in Milroy’s whisky bar, London, the £12m nine-storey distillery is complete and ready to welcome visitors.  

Bookings are now live for Port of Leith’s tour and tasting experience, with tours running 12-8pm Wednesday to Friday, 11am-7pm on Saturdays and 12pm-5pm on Sundays.

Over the course of 90 minutes fans will be guided through the story of the distillery’s unlikely conception, fill their own miniature bottle of  new make spirit and taste their way through the distillery’s production process in its purpose built Quality Control Tasting Laboratory.

Reservations are now also available for the top floor mezzanine bar, also opening on October 11th, a one of a kind space boasting panoramic 360 views over the city, a floor to ceiling back whisky bar and a menu of small plates designed to showcase Scotland’s world class ingredients.


Ian Stirling, Co-Founder of Port of Leith Distillery said: “Building a distillery of our own has been an ambition of Paddy and mine for over 10 years so to see the project finally come to fruition is a surreal moment for us.

“We never set out to build a vertical distillery – the shape and size of the building is a product of the tiny site we were able to secure. We wedged our distillery tower into Edinburgh’s historic harbour to make our building as accessible as possible to people who, like us, love whisky.

“We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how to make the Port of Leith tour as special as we possibly can and look forward to welcoming fans across the globe to a whisky experience like no other.”  

Port of Leith is set to be the biggest tourist attraction to be built in Leith for decades, with a projected 25,000 visitors in its first year, increasing to 160,000 by 2025.

Paddy Fletcher, Co-Founder of The Port of Leith Distillery added: “Coming from Edinburgh, we were always confused as to why there were no single malt distilleries operating in the city.

“Being able to build something modern and different has been an enormous treat; hopefully it will encourage people to take a second look at Scotch whisky as there’s huge amounts of innovation and excitement going on within the industry.”

The distillery is creating up to 50 long term local jobs, with the capacity to produce one million bottles of whisky per year.

Priced at £26 per person, Port of Leith Distillery tours will be available from Wednesday 11th of October. They can be booked online here.

The Port of Leith Distillery Bar can be booked separately online here.