Holyrood Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Holyrood Distillery is a modern addition to Scotland’s whisky landscape, but one that draws inspiration from the country’s deep distilling heritage while embracing innovation. Located in the heart of Edinburgh, Holyrood is the city’s first single malt whisky distillery in nearly a century, opening its doors in 2019. Its founders set out with a bold vision: to explore flavour in a way that challenges convention, while making the whisky-making process accessible to visitors and enthusiasts alike.

The distillery sits in the city’s historic Southside, in a former Victorian railway goods building just a short walk from Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat. This urban setting allows Holyrood to combine production with a strong educational and tourism focus, making it a key part of Edinburgh’s modern food and drink scene.

From the start, Holyrood has approached whisky-making as a flavour-first exercise. While many distilleries stick to a consistent recipe, Holyrood actively experiments with different barley varieties, yeast strains, and fermentation techniques. The team works with both traditional Scottish malted barley and heritage grains, including Golden Promise, Maris Otter, and Chevallier, known for their distinct flavour contributions. Fermentation times are deliberately varied — from shorter runs to very long, slow ferments, to explore the full spectrum of fruit, floral, and malty notes that yeast can produce.

Distillation takes place in Forsyths copper pot stills, with attention to cut points and distillation speed to influence texture and weight. The resulting new-make spirit is often markedly different between experimental batches, reflecting the distillery’s creative ethos.

Maturation occurs in a diverse range of casks beyond the standard ex-bourbon and sherry barrels. Holyrood uses port pipes, rum casks, wine barriques, and specialty woods to layer additional flavour complexity into the spirit. This broad cask policy is designed to complement the distillery’s varied new-make styles, resulting in whiskies that stand apart from traditional Lowland single malts.

While Holyrood is still young, it has released new make spirit, mature spirit previews, and experimental bottlings to give whisky lovers a taste of its evolving character. Its first official single malt whiskies, released as they reach legal maturity, showcase the results of its early recipe trials and ambitious cask programme.

In addition to whisky, Holyrood produces a range of gins, liqueurs, and experimental spirits, using the same focus on ingredient quality and flavour-driven distillation. This diversification allows the team to share its creative process with a wider audience while the whisky stocks mature.

Flavour profiles from Holyrood whiskies are as varied as its production methods, some are bright and fruity with apple, pear, and citrus; others are richer, with dried fruit, spice, and chocolate tones from fortified wine casks. All retain a depth and complexity that reflects the distillery’s careful balance of tradition and innovation.

Our Holyrood selection features its first single malt releases, alongside small-batch experiments and cask-finished expressions. Whether you’re an Edinburgh local, a whisky tourist, or a collector interested in the next generation of Scottish distilling, Holyrood offers a rare opportunity: to taste a new Lowland malt as it develops, shaped by a fearless approach to flavour.