Glenkinchie is the distillery I know best. I used to work there as a guide, so I have walked that tour more times than I could count. It is also the easiest malt whisky distillery to reach from Edinburgh, which makes it the one I suggest most often to guests with a free morning or afternoon in the city.
Here is how I plan a visit, what the tours involve this winter and what to know before you book.
Where Glenkinchie is, and how long it takes to get there
The distillery sits just outside the village of Pencaitland in East Lothian, about 16 miles south east of Edinburgh city centre. Without traffic the drive takes around half an hour. Leaving the city at rush hour can stretch that to 45 minutes, so I plan around tour times rather than the clock.
The last few miles are quiet farm roads through rolling fields, and the distillery appears in a shallow valley beside the Kinchie Burn, which gives it its name. Glenkinchie is often called “The Edinburgh Malt”, and the short drive is why.
You can get there by bus, but it takes about an hour and a quarter with a change in Haddington. In a private car you are there in half the time, and nobody in the group has to stay off the whisky.
A little history before you arrive
Glenkinchie was founded in 1825 by the brothers John and George Rate, who called it Milton. They renamed it Glenkinchie in 1837. The red-brick buildings you see today are Victorian, and the site still has the original workers’ houses and a bowling green.
Two things inside are worth looking out for. The wash still is the largest in Scotland, and the spirit is cooled in a traditional worm tub, a coil of copper pipe in a tub of cold water. Both shape the light, floral and grassy style Glenkinchie is known for. The distillery is also the Lowland home of Johnnie Walker, and the gardens are kept with real care. They call it “The Garden Distillery”.
The tours, and which one I would choose
Glenkinchie currently runs four regular tours. These are the prices on the distillery’s own booking pages this week:
- Flavour Journey, 1.5 hours, from £25. A sensory tour of the distillery with light, sound and media, ending with a tutored tasting of three drams. Ages 8 and up.
- From Cask to Glass, 1 hour, from £45. A visit to the filling store with two whiskies drawn straight from the cask and a taste of the distillery-exclusive hand-fill, in a glass you keep. Over 18s only.
- Flavour and Cask Experience, 2 hours, from £65. A guided tour with six drams, including one drawn from the cask. Over 18s only.
- Hidden Lowland Tour and Tasting, 2.5 hours, from £150. Areas of the distillery most visitors never see, and some rare Glenkinchie whiskies. Over 18s only.
For a first visit, the Flavour Journey gives you the whole story of how the whisky is made. Guests who already know their way around a tasting usually get more from the Flavour and Cask Experience. The Hidden Lowland tour suits a serious collector or a small group celebrating something.
Book ahead, especially in winter
The distillery strongly recommends booking in advance, and dates are usually released about six months ahead. Each tour takes between 8 and 16 guests at most, depending on which one you choose, so popular slots fill quickly.
Opening days catch people out. From October to March, Glenkinchie is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and closed on Sundays and Mondays. If your only free day in Edinburgh is a Monday, it will not work. The distillery also says it may close at short notice in bad winter weather, so I check before we leave.
If no tour time suits, you can still visit the shop and the Lowland Bar, which serves cocktails, drams and platters of Scottish food, but there is no guarantee of a table.
A distillery tour is not the same as a whisky tasting
Guests often use the two words for the same thing, but they are different days out. On a distillery tour you walk through a working distillery: the mash tun, the washbacks, the stills and the casks. You see how the spirit is made, and the tasting comes at the end.
A whisky tasting is about the glass. It can happen anywhere, from your hotel to a private room, and it can cover whiskies from all over Scotland. If you would rather sit down with a range of drams and talk about them, my private whisky tasting experiences in Edinburgh may suit you better than a tour.
Making a day of it
A Glenkinchie tour fits easily into half a day, collecting you from your hotel and having you back in the city by mid afternoon. It also works as the first stop on a longer whisky day.
One route I like crosses the Forth to Lindores Abbey Distillery near Newburgh in Fife. It is about 62 miles from Glenkinchie, around an hour and a quarter in the car, and the distillery sits beside the ruins of an abbey that dates back to 1191. In winter Lindores opens Wednesday to Sunday, so for a two-distillery day between November and February, Wednesday to Saturday is when both are open.
For guests who want to go further north, my Speyside whisky tour post explains how I plan two or three days among the distilleries there. You can see how I put whisky days together on my whisky distillery tours page.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Glenkinchie Distillery from Edinburgh?
About 16 miles from the city centre, near Pencaitland in East Lothian. The drive is usually around half an hour, or up to 45 minutes when traffic is heavy leaving the city.
Is Glenkinchie open on Sundays and Mondays?
No. From October to March the distillery opens Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and it is closed on Sundays and Mondays. It may also close at short notice in bad winter weather.
Can children go on a Glenkinchie distillery tour?
Children aged 8 and over can join the Flavour Journey with a child ticket. Children under 8 are not allowed on tours, and the other three tours are for over 18s only.
What if I’m driving?
The distillery gives drivers a take-away pack to enjoy later. With a private driver, everyone in your group can taste on the day.
Do I need to book a Glenkinchie tour in advance?
Yes, it is highly recommended. Tours are small and dates are released about six months ahead. Refunds and rescheduling are only accepted up to 48 hours before the tour.
If you would like to visit Glenkinchie, on its own or as part of a longer trip, send me a note with your dates and how many of you are travelling. I’ll book the tour that suits you and plan the day around it.
