I'm a wine drinker myself, however my husband is a whiskey lover, so I agreed to get the premium package for this place. He could have my whiskey and it would buy me some much needed shopping time later during our trip to Europe! The tour starts off with a ride that walks you through the process of making whiskey, once it's done there is a quick overview from the guide with more in depth question and answers Our tour guide was very bubbly and knowledgeable about every stage of the whiskey making process. I believe her name was Molly. She led us into a class room of sorts after the brief overview and proceeded to go into detail Whiskey regions in Scotland and we were able to sample some from these areas. I could tell that my husband really enjoyed being immersed in this conversation along with other whiskey enthusiasts. When it was over, we were led through the largest private whiskey collection in the world, it was massive and impressive in size. I had a good time, despite having zero interest in the beginning of this tour. It was very thoughtfully laid out and I came out with an appreciation for whiskey. I kind of wish we had purchased the tasting package so we could have gone down to the restaurant for whiskey and food pairings, but perhaps on another visit. read more

This has changed over time and it looks like it has been bought up by Disney recently. Made to be fun for tourists, this tour involves a ride through the fermenting process and treating tour. After the random theme park ride you are then walked into what looks like a school room and given a presentation (although in the past it was mostly spoken now it seems to be predominantly slides) before you pick a whisky flavour and get to tasting. You are then shown into the whisky collection room where you hear about the bottles around you until it is time to go to the shop. Various prices available based of of the amount of time you want to spend here, but I recommend the cheapest option as it's quite dear and you can later go test your newfound whiskey tastebuds in the pub. I would recommend going to an actual distillery, but for tourists it would likely be a nice time. read more

A shamelessly touristy treat for whisky fans who don't take themselves too seriously. Yes ok there are plenty of cooler or more traditional places to enjoy 'a wee dram' in Edinburgh, but where else do you get a ride in a barrel-shaped cart and scratch 'n sniff cards from the different whisky-producing regions?! My friend and I are both whisky aficionados who wanted to find out more (and obviously drink some whisky) so we opted for the Gold tour. I'd booked a particular start time on-line but when we arrived they're quite flexible about this and you just join the back of the queue for the barrel ride. There was a real mix of ages, nationalities and group sizes, which surprised me as I wouldn't have thought it an obvious place to take a toddler in a pushchair, nor the teenage boys I spotted looking seriously unimpressed at their big neon 'under-18' stickers. I got overexcited (as usual) at the barrel ride which was well pitched in being cheesy, informative and only about 10 minutes long - so it's over before the novelty wears off. The guide for the rest of the tour was really friendly and knowledgeable, and the scratch 'n sniff cards were a clever way to hold our attention during his presentation. We got a whisky dram from a region of our choice at the end (the kids get Irn Bru), and sniffed and slurped our way through instructions on the best way to taste it. The Diageo collection on display was seriously impressive (though as my mate pointed out - aren't they all just going to sit there and evaporate slowly?!). The Gold tour meant we got another 4 whiskies with tasting notes to enjoy afterwards, so we propped ourselves up at the bar and set to work on these. From eavesdropping on the conversations of others ordering from the extensive menu, the bar staff really knew their stuff. The 4 tastings we tried were nice enough though the fun part came from testing whether our olfactory senses agreed with the tasting notes (or not). My favourite was the peaty Caol Ila from Islay which I saved for last, though sadly had to polish off quite speedily as we had a show at the Fringe to get to - otherwise I could have happily sat there sipping away into the evening, growing warmer inside as it got colder out. Overall despite their best efforts to appeal to everyone, I think you need to like whisky to really enjoy it and get your money's worth. In hindsight I could've paid more attention to the educational bits and asked more questions before making a beeline to the bar, but we were on a bit of a time budget and hey, priorities :-$ It's worth going for gold (ha) for the incremental cost over the standard tour, plus you get some vouchers to use in the gift shop which is a little overpriced otherwise. Enjoy! read more

We had one day in Edinburgh and did this tour - it was totally worth it! Learned a lot - I would highly recommend this if you don't have enough time to visit distilleries! read more

The Scotch Whisky Experience - Tours Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

Great tour - good little learning experience via barrel ride, knowledgable tour guide, inspiring collection of scotch, and a great bar to relax in. Definitely buy the gold tour (or platinum) and enjoy the wonderful tastes of Scotland. Slàinte Mhath! read more

We were very happy with tour. The guide was friendly and informative. It was an entertaining introduction to a complex drink. I was wary of ordering scotch before, and now am willing to dove right in. The entry ride needs a little maintenance to synch up. read more

In two trips to Edinburgh, I've skipped the tour here both times, but I would never miss the shop. They have almost every brand of scotch in here, most in multiple variations and sizes. This is a great place to come if you want variety. They have many small (50ml) bottles, which make a great opportunity for sampling new whiskies and loading up the nooks and crannies of your luggage for the trip home. I bought twelve of those bad boys last time, and one of them turned out to be my favorite scotch of the last few years. read more

This was quite fun. The tour guide had a good sense of humor and the bartender there was very knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely recommend this for any level of whiskey enthusiast. The selection is rotating and I would have tried the islay but it was my least favorite Laphroaig. read more

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I read some of the reviews on this place and I guess I see where they are coming from but I'm never one to over estimate a place. I pretty much try and expect just what is stated and not more. So anyway, my dad and I checked this place out one weekday afternoon. We're both whisky fans and a shopkeeper suggested we check it out. We signed on for the Silver Tour which turned out to be a good deal. It does start out as a ride of sorts. I didn't find it cheesy but I'm an easy going guy. I think if I'd done this before visiting any distilleries this part would have been very informative. As it happened, this was at the end of my trip to Scotland so I had been to just a few distilleries. By few, I mean about 10... Ahem. Anyway, I still found it a cool little touch to the tour. Once you're taken through the malt's eye view of distillation, the group gathers and the actual guided part of the tour begins. It's essentially a mini class on what constitutes a scotch whisky and an explanation of the different sources of flavor and color a whisky can have. The approach here is that you know very little of whisky and may not even have ever tasted one. I think for someone brand new to this drink, it would be quite helpful. For myself, I already know what I like but I still enjoyed it. This part ends with you picking a scent/flavor note and being given a whisky from that selection. From here you and your chosen whisky move into the next area which is the largest collection of whisky bottles I've ever seen. It actually was an individual's private collection which had been donated. I don't know, I like it. There were some really old and really interesting bottles. I enjoyed this part as well. From there you move into the final area which also has a bar. My silver tour included 4 additional tastings which were quite tasty. Don't fear, I was walking and not driving. I walked away from my tour with a Glencairn glass and warm insides. Definitely think it was a good value given the four additional tastings. Also, throughout the tour (excepting the collection room) they have some theme for kids. Just after the ride, they have a cat character on the walls meant to entertain young children. In the final area, there are some interactive play areas with the cat as well. One final thing I should note is that in addition to the tour, they have a downstairs gift shop, bar and restaurant. I did have a sandwich here and it was actually good. I wasn't expecting much but the food I had was a nice surprise. I don't know if I'd make it a point to go there just to eat but if you're waiting for your tour to start and want a bite, you'd do well. I'd recommend this place to visitors. Shout out to Garry our tour guide. Well done! read more

One of the best things about my trips to Scotland has been learning to enjoy whisky. I always thought I hated it. Mostly because, as an American, my whisk(e)y experiences have been solely connected to horrible American whiskeys. Or bourbons. Just not my thing I guess. Then I had a tiny exposure to whisky at The Fat Duck with the whisky wine gums, and I thought, "Hey some of these are actually really good". So heading up north to Scotland gave me the opportunity to try them out for real! I discovered I really enjoyed the smoky ones (Islay? yes please!). So after trying several, I was incredibly excited about going to the Scotch Whisky Experience. Unfortunately, we were squeezing it into a space of time of about 1.5 hours since our train was leaving, so we could only do the Silver experience, and not the Gold (which adds on a whisky tasting at the end). Anyway, the barrel ride was a bit cheesy. I'm not going to lie. But it was incredibly interesting to learn how whisky is made. Double distillation. Who knew? (Not me apparently!) The flavors depend on the malts AND the shape of the distillation apparatus? Fascinating. There are five separate malt regions and the malts have different flavors in each of them? Neat! Then, you get to try one! I would have gone for the Islay whisky, but the Speyside whisky was Glengrant (and I've always wanted to try the whisky with my name), so I opted for that one while the other half had the Islay whisky. Both were tasty, but the Islay whisky was on the mild side, and not as delicious as Laphroig or Ardbeg! Then you get to see the amazing whisky collection. There are an insane number of bottles there. It's fascinating to see them, and there are so many you probably couldn't even look at them all during one tour! The other half mentioned that it was a bit of a waste that there is all that whisky, and no one drinking it, but that's life I guess! Then you get to go out into the bar area, and if you have the Gold tour, have your whisky tasting. Or you can opt for a whisky cocktail at the other bar. Unfortunately, we had to leave and catch our train, but we used our tickets to buy a couple of slightly discounted bottles of whisky before leaving! Hoorah for the Scotch Whisky Experience making me love whisky even more and teaching me about the subtle details of it all! read more

So much fun to be had here! The tour is great, to see the worlds largest collection of malts was special. Go for the gold ticket and at the end you you a tasting at the bar of four whiskys, it's a great day for novices and seasoned drinkers a like! read more

Everything you need to know about whisky, and more. Yes, this place is super touristy but also pretty neat. I didn't know that much about whisky but I do now! Tour- where I learned about the history and process. I also learned the benefits of aging, the different whisky regions and what single malt means. I got to try a whisky from 2 of the regions - the second because my mom was sitting out the tasting. Largest collection of whisky - this is cool. The sheer volume of bottles is amazing and to think one person owned this collection and tried all of them! Tasting room - we didn't stay here long because my mom wasn't drinking and I didn't want to be drinking by myself! But they have lots more to try and drinks made with whisky if you don't like it straight. Store - I had a lot of help from the knowledgeable associates in picking out a bottle for my dad and for myself to take home. read more

Very touristy! Starts off with a barrel ride, basically a pod car on a track, twisting and turning while telling you how scotch is harvested/fermented/aged/types of wood barrels/etc. Seemed like this part of the journey took forever. After the ride, you go to a classroom with stations, you are provided a scratch and sniff postcard and a glass. Then, the tastings, it was the most informative and favorite part of the experience. Then you exit into a scotch whiskey collection room, to continue the tasting experience. It was rather impressive, I'll admit. The folks running the operations are top notch, super nice! The gift shop folks, not so much. read more

We were totally expecting this to be a tourist trap, but it ended up being a really good experience. I recommend it for anyone who is not familiar with Scottish Whiskey. The part that we enjoyed most was the scotch appreciation segment. A conductor educates you on the key features of each of Scottland's distillery regions and what tasting notes one should expect from each region. They then pour you a sample from one of the districts of your choice. For a fee you can upgrade to get a tasting of all five districts. In our family group we had 3 of legal drinking age, and with our basic tickets each of us ordered whiskey from a different district, so we were able to taste 3 of the 5 districts and appreciate the differences of each. We also got to take home the serving glasses. Our 16 year old was also welcome on the tour but was served a can of the popular local soda Irn-Bru instead of scotch. The other nice thing about the tour was to be able to see what could be the largest collection of bottled whiskey in the world. The collection filled up one large room and part of another and contained bottles from various distilleries going back decades. Overall I think the tour was well worth the price. I would have given this 5 stars except there's an annoying touristy segment at the beginning where you given an overview of the distillation process while transported in carts made to look like whiskey bottles. No need for that. read more

Whether you want to start the day off or end it here is up to you just know this will be your last stop! If you are a malt-love, this is certainly the place to be. There is a really good tour on the history and making of whisky that helps you understand where the amber nectar comes from. Then there are a series of wine tasting sessions where you get to compare Scotland's finest. The shop is well-stocked with variety in all sizes and for all tastes. Except for being a good place for your touristy gifts, its quite satisfying to spoil yourself to some nice whisky and walk away knowing a little more about it too! read more

Gold Tour package is definitely worth the money. Ignoring the experience itself, the price is pretty fair for the whiskey samples alone! This is a fun and informative way to spend an hour in Edinburgh, while sampling some delicious scotch whiskey. read more

Tip: get the Campbeltown sample for the tasting during the tour. You get the other 4 during the subsequent tasting at the end for the gold tour but they dont offer that one. Good experience but not great. Interesting set up and visuals. Our guide was mechanical and reciting a script with his mind elsewhere. Felt rushed. Tasting was decent on the gold tour. read more

My 8, 9, and 11 year old and I had a lot of fun on this tour. It's about $20 USD for adults and a bit less for kids. That gets you a 15 minute Disney-style ride that kids can relate to ... explains how whiskey is made at the right level of detail for non-afficianados. Then a live person explains the four different whiskey regions and how the tastes are different from one area to the next. Adults get to sample one and kids get a local fizzy drink. For a few $ more you get a sample from each of the regions. I did that and it was very worth it. I prefer wine, but I learned a lot and had a good time with it. read more

This place is just awesome. I took the platinum tour. The theme-park like tour through the production of whisky was nicely done and instructive. The tasting lets you taste the single malts from the different regions (why only two..?), with some explanation about the tastes. The last few stops on the your are truly amazing. The way in which they display the largest collection of Scotch whisky bottles (well over 3000 different bottles) is absolutely stunning. The very last bit of this selection is in a whisky bar with an outstanding collection and a some nice views. If you like whisky and you have at least half a day in Edinburgh: do it! read more

Don't let proximity to castle fool you. Great place for single malt scotch drinkers of all levels of expertise.

I love this place. From the welcome taster of whiskey, to the Disney-esque informative barrel-ride through the history of whisky in Scotland, to the cheap effects of a ghostly bartender making bad puns, this is a great afternoon spot, especially if you're entertaining out-of-town guests. The best feature, in my humble opinion, is the tasting bar downstairs. 8 pounds will buy you a whiskey sampler, and you can nose you way though different regional varieties and barrel variations. The friendly and acknowledgeable staff will ensure that you enjoy yourself. As an 'ambassador-level' member (should I admit this on a public forum?), my many visits make me something of an expert: I can confidently say that the whiskey center promises good times. read more

The Scotch Whisky Experience attraction is located on the Royal Mile not far from Camera Obscura and Edinburgh Castle so you can have a perfect rest and relax after other very informative excursions. This excursion is very informative as well because it allows you to learn a lot of interesting facts about producing whisky. You can smell and try whisky so this tour can be considered to be relaxing. Whisky has a long history so you will be told about the its earliest appearance and all improvements which were made through its history. You will be given a whisky glass as a souvenir. read more

A good mix of educational and entertaining. The tour was comprehensive for people who aren't too familiar with whiskey but can be appreciated by whiskey connoisseurs alike. The tasting at the end is the best part once you understand the process and see where the whiskey comes from. I highly recommend the GOLD TOUR. read more

After taking in some of the royal history, head towards "The Scotch Whisky Experience" for a one-hour tour, where you will learn about the evolution of Scotch Whisky (and no, this is not a typo-this is the proper spelling of the word for the Scottish) dating back to 800 BC. 26 pounds includes the "the gold tour" which consists of a guided tour and four samples after the history lesson. There are other tour options available as well to fit various budgets. Of note, this is a great alternative to learn about some of the local whisky if you are unable to check out any of the distilleries. read more

Though our tour started off a bit rocky with the ride being completely in the dark, the experience soon picked up steam when we were offered a free drink as compensation. The entire experience was interesting and engaging, we did the 1 hour for 15 pounds. This was sufficient for us to get a rudimentary intro to whisky and a taste of one of the malts. We loved the was all was organized, the movie, the tasting and the gift shop. It was truly well worth the price. read more

I arrived here towards the end of a day, and was told that they were sold out through the end of that day. So I came back earlier the next day and immediately got into a tour. I purchased the one-step up plan, where I got to try 5 samples. You start on a carnival ride of sorts, moving through the building in a seat and hearing some of the details of how whisky gets made. You step off and then wait for the next room to open up - which was about a ten minute wait - at which point we were ushered in for a video with a scratch-and-sniff card. This video detailed the different whisky regions and encouraged you to scratch and sniff the card to smell the flavors of the whisky from that region as they told you about it. Very fun! You next got led into a tasting room, and got a bit more history about blends, and then got to select a tasting glass of 1 whisky. You took that glass into the next room, a giant collection of old whisky bottles, where you got to drink it and wander the room, checking out the hundreds of old bottles, and then the folks on the standard tour exited to the gift shop and the rest of us headed into the tasting room where we got the other 4 whisky samples covering the rest of the regions. The gift shop itself was magnificent, staffed with super supportive and knowledgable folks who could work with limited info to find you a bottle they suspected you would like. A+ experience all around, even if I'm still not wholly convinced I enjoy whisky. Not to be missed! read more

Such a wonderful primer for a whiskey novice! The clear, concise description of the entire process involved in the production of whiskey was well done using 'the barrel' ride to demonstrate the process. The guide was friendly, knowledgeable and very courteous. I enjoyed the 'scratch and sniff' card to help understand the different regions and why the whiskey from each region is unique. It was also helpful to have the blended and single malt whiskey differences explained. And finally the tasting in the room surrounded by over 3000 unopened bottles was quite the setting. Also, given the terrible weather many other sites in Edinburgh were closed so this was a gem! Thanks read more

Go on tour if you can spare a tenner, surprisingly enough it's worth it but by far it's not the best thing about that place. Downstairs is the real gem of the Edinburgh bar scene - a whisky bar with over 300 different Scotches in it. Nice decor and very knowledgable staff make the success complete! Oh, and the restaurant is decent and reasonably priced. If you want an insider's view on this and other whisky places in and around Edinburgh, go http://www.edinburghwhiskyblog.com - it's a crackin wee source of info on this awesome drink! read more

Erin P. was our tour guide and she was FANTASTIC!!! Not only did she give my husband and I great tips on how to move to Edinburgh (she's a fellow American) she was extremely knowledgeable and friendly! Unfortunately I'm not a big drinker so the whiskey had to be finished by my husband, but the overall experience was absolutely a must! A real Disneyland of whiskey experiences with a ride and everything!!! Next time we're here, we'll definitely be coming back!!! read more

The Scotch Whisky Experience is really kitschy and cheesy, but I think it's actually a pretty fun time! I recommend getting tickets ahead of time, because it gets really busy. There are a few different packages you can get, but my husband and I went with the basic one, and it worked great for us. First, you go on a barrel ride through the making/background of whisky. Then you get to go into a tasting room and try some whisky of your choice. After that you get to see the collection room, which is the largest collection of whisky on record! It really is crazy how much the guy accumulated over the years. After the tour is over you get to take home your whisky glasses (cool, right?) and then wander around the gift shop. It's a super fun experience, even if you aren't much of a whisky drinker! read more

Very gimmicky. Tiny pours for your taste. Save your money & time and just go to a bar. The "experience" is like riding the "it's a small world" at Disneyland. Slow, boring, and annoying. You literally sit in a moving cart, maneuver through tacky sets and watch an actor on various screens teach you about whisky. Would not recommend. Souvenir glass is nice I giess, but it's not engraved or anything so it's super generic & not cool. read more

Amazing! Tour guide Ali Mc was great and personable and friendly. It was nice to have it all interactive and the movie was narrated. We were really happy to stumble on it and highly recommend it. read more

Let me break it down for you, if you're touristy enough to go to a place called the Scotch Whiskey Experience (which i totally am), then don't complain about having a cheesy time! The tour begins with a ride, where you get to learn how whiskey is made. They also have this in many languages for people who do need translation. Then we were taken to a room and our guide talked about the different regions. Do yourself a favor and pay for the gold tour- you'll get to try whiskey from all four regions and decide which you like best. I suggest starting with the blend, and the end of the tour they'll bring out the four glasses from each of the different regions for you to taste. I actually hate scotch, but the hubby loves it and has sat through many a tequila tasting with me so I indulged. This was actually pretty educational for me, and I learned that I prefer Speyside whiskey, so now i can sound fancy when I talk to true scotch lovers. They give you a scratch and sniff card to help exaggerate the flavors, and I was all over that! They also take you to their private collection room- another piece of eye candy. If we had more than 3 days in Scotland we probably would have made the day trek to an actual distillery, but if you're pressed for time like we were this is a fine alternative. read more

The Scotch Whisky Experience - Part of the Scotch collection - Tours Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

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If you love scotch whisky, you must stop here. Despite my ancestry, I've never developed a taste for Scotch. I tried again but I remain unable to cultivate a taste for it. I have a certificate from this facility on the wall in my office along with the more predictable certificates. The tour isn't amazing, but it's part of the experience & you should go for it. read more

This is a great place to start if you just landed in Edinburgh and not sure what to do. It's a short tour with a silly, but fun ride in a "whiskey barrel" that teaches you about the basics of whisky brewing. Then there is a video that explains the different regions of whiskey production in Scotland. Finally, you get to choose a type to taste, and they lead you to show off their amazing collection of whiskeys. We hadn't eaten anything, and the amount they put in your cup is enough to make me slightly dizzy. I am sure I could not handle the packages with extra tastings. The store is pretty expansive, and at the end they let you keep the cute glass you drank from! read more

Major thanks to Jim Allan and Thomas for helping me out today. I accidentally purchased the wrong day and I'm only in town for one night. They were able to accommodate me and allow me to go through the Platinum Tour. Definitely worth the extra for the different whisky and extended tour. Thomas knew his whisky and was a great tour guide. Again, thanks again for helping me. I really enjoyed the tour. read more

Where else are you sent off in a whisky barrel and guided through the fine art of whisky making by the ghost of a long dead brew master? My friends and I signed up for the Platinum Tour and had a fantastic experience. Finlay, our tour guide, was knowledgeable, personable, and a great deal of fun. This is a must for anyone who loves whisky, whether they are novices or experts. read more

Cool little tasting gallery and automated tour. Tried Baillie Nicol Jarvie here for the first time and loved it. Had always gravitated toward single malt but this was a refreshing change of pace in a blend. read more

On our first trip to Edinburgh we were so anxious to try this restaurant. What a disappointment, and that's an understatement. After a lengthy wait, our waitress knew little about the menu, and even less about scotch. She seemed annoyed that we were foreign. So we ordered a variety of dishes: cheeses, haggis, nips, and tattles, and the three course Taste of Scotland, for example. The meats were stringy or as tough as shoe leather, with very little discernible taste. Additionally, the mussels might as well have been barnacles. Top that with unclean silverware that had to be replaced to start with, and overall we had a miserable evening. We couldn't drink enough Scotch to save this experience. read more

I don't drink a lot of scotch, but this was an interesting stop because we actually learned about the different regions of Scotland and the type of liquor they produce. We even smelled things that are added to the mix. We didn't get a chance to go on the barrel ride, which was a bummer. I liked the fact that this isn't a brewery tour...it's actually more like a mini-course. The store is fun, too. read more