The Port of Leith Distillery is due to open in 2022 with the capacity to produce up to 1 million bottles of single malt a year
Foundations have been laid for the new Scotch whisky distillery which is set to become a tourist landmark for Scotland’s capital.
The distillery will feature a top-floor double-height whisky bar, two copper stills and will have views all the way to Edinburgh Castle.
It's the work of co-founders Patrick Fletcher and Ian Stirling. 'We have always been passionate about whisky and it’s been a long-held dream for us to create an amazing, modern Scotch whisky distillery in our home city,' explained Stirling. 'It began ten years ago as a mad idea over a dram when we were working together in London and it grew from there.
'The catalyst was finding the location – we were approached by site owners Ocean Terminal and we could immediately see the potential. The site is not big – around a third of an acre – but the location is phenomenal, and we worked closely with Threesixty Architecture in Glasgow to develop the design.'
The duo plan to create an 'outstanding new style of Scotch using a modern approach'. They have already made Oloroso sherry and Lind & Lime Gin, both produced in a small stillhouse in Leith.
'It has been really important for us to learn how to make and market our own spirit and build relationships with suppliers,' said Fletcher. 'Our sherry comes from Bodegas Baron – a 480-year-old family business in the heart of Jerez, and we will use their barrels to mature our own whisky, when the time comes.'
