The Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh: Tours, tastings & Scottish restaurant

Before I ever wrote about whisky, I poured it. My first job in the Scotch whisky industry was at The Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh — hosting tours, recommending bottles in the shop, and pouring drams behind the Amber Bar. A decade later, after spending most of my adult life writing about Scotch, I can still walk you through this tour with my eyes closed. The Scotch Whisky Experience is often the first stop for travellers keen to understand the spirit that defines Scotland’s capital. Tucked right next to Edinburgh Castle it’s home to an impressive collection of over 3000 bottles of whisky as well as the Amber Restaurant & Whisky Bar in Edinburgh. At the heart of it all, the whisky experience blends storytelling, tastings, and atmosphere. Get your tickets for The Scotch Whisky Experience here and savour Edinburgh one sip at a time.

This guide is everything

I’d tell a friend visiting Edinburgh about the tours, the tastings, and how to make the most of your visit — from a former staff member who is also now a whisky writer.

♥ What is a dram? A dram is a single measure of scotch whisky. It is sometimes said that the bigger the dram, the more the person pouring it enjoys your company.

The Tours at The Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh

If you are only doing one whisky tasting in Edinburgh, this is a good one. The Scotch Whisky Experience was actually created by the whisky industry in Scotland back in 1988. It has been dedicated to highlighting scotch whisky to visitors in Edinburgh ever since. Because of this, you can be sure to find a great variety of whiskies in the shop as well as in the bar. There is even a big selection of mini bottles and these 5cl samples are perfect to bring home as a souvenir. Or to put together your own little tasting to share with a friend. There are a few different tour tickets available at The Scotch Whisky Experience. Which one that suits you all depends on what you are looking for.

• Silver Tour: Learn more about scotch whisky in Scotland and try one sample.
• Gold Tour: The same tour as for the Silver experience. But with an elevated tasting with a regional tasting flight after the main tour. This is my recommended tour if you want to do a proper tasting and see how different whiskies can be to each other.
• Taste of Scotland: For those wanting both a whisky tour and dinner in Edinburgh as this experience combines the Gold Tour with a three course tasting menu dinner in the Amber Restaurant & Whisky Bar.

♥ Looking for more things to do in Edinburgh? I’ve lived here for over a decade and have gathered my recommendations in this extensive guide here!

Silver Tour

The Silver Tour starts off with an introduction to whisky production where a visual experience awaits. Once you have learned more about barley, yeast and water as well as maturation you will head upstairs to the Sense of Scotland room. This is my favourite room of the experience – and the one I always loved doing when I was working as a tour guide. This curved projector screen showcases beautiful imagery of Scotland’s five whisky regions. And a scratch and sniff card is used to showcase particular aromas that whiskies in these regions tend to showcase. Nowadays the lines between these regional differences are slightly more blurred than they used to be. But it can be a helpful tool to understand what aromas you might enjoy in a whisky.

This is followed by an introduction to the importance of blended whisky and the blenders that helped the rise of popularity for single malts internationally. For this section you sit in a lovely recreation of an old-fashioned blenders room. This is also where you get to pick the whisky you wish to try during the tour, although you don’t drink it just yet. To choose your whisky, you simply put your glass on the colour representative of the region you wish to try.

The Diageo Claive Vidiz Whisky Collection

And now I won’t spoil the surprise, but you’ll move on through to quite a spectacular room. What awaits is the Diageo Claive Vidiz Whisky Collection of 3384 unopened bottles of scotch whisky. Do keep an eye out for fun bottles like the beheaded monks and the little seal that are my favourites in the collection. In the collection is where you do your guided tasting where you learn the five steps to appreciate whisky. As any good whisky tour you then end up in the bar. Here you can discover more fascinating whiskies or buy another dram or two. This bar is an excellent spot to ask for a recommendation as the team are very knowledgeable.

Ticket for the Silver Tour at The Scotch Whisky Experience are available from £25 per person. It includes the tour with one sample of whisky.

Gold Tour

The Gold Tour starts off in the very same way as the Silver Tour with the interactive and visual experience. You do the whole tour and tasting of one whisky. But this is where this experience changes from the Silver Tour. After the collection you sit down with a flight of four additional whiskies. These whiskies are from the Lowlands, Highlands, Speyside and Islay whisky regions. It’s a great opportunity to try different whiskies and taste their differences. Which is actually one of the best ways to get in to whisky. I often get the question on how to start liking whisky and I always recommend doing a tasting of at least three different drams. As soon as you can start seeing the differences, you can start learning what you like more or less in whisky.

For the last tour of the day you can book The Gold Whisky & Chocolate Tour. In this tour a dark chocolate is paired with one of the drams on the tasting.

Ticket for the Gold Tour at The Scotch Whisky Experience are available from £39.75 per person. It includes a tour with one sample of whisky plus a tasting flight of four whiskies at the end of the tour.

Taste of Scotland

The Taste of Scotland Experience is just like the Gold Tour, but after the tasting you head downstairs to the Amber Restaurant & Whisky Bar to enjoy a three course tasting menu of Scottish cuisine for a full evening of food and drink in Edinburgh.

Tickets from £95 per person and includes the tour, tasting and set menu dinner.

Special events

There are several different seasonal events happening throughout the year. Particularly around the peak tourist seasons of August and New Years.

Tales of the Tattoo with The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Have you heard about the fantastic performance of military bands from all over the world that is The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo? This spectacular show takes place right in front of Edinburgh Castle throughout August. If you are visiting Edinburgh in August during the month-long Fringe Festival then you can book a bespoke whisky tour followed by an exclusive themed whisky tasting inspired by the Tattoo before going to see the performance as well. You will enjoy the tasting as well as a light supper before attending the 21.30 performance at the castle esplanade right next door to The Scotch Whisky Experience.

This experience is available Monday to Saturday at 19.00 and can be booked through The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo website.

December Distillers Fair at The Scotch Whisky Experience

At the very end of the year is when the Distillers Fair takes place at The Scotch Whisky Experience. It takes place on the 29th and 30th December 2026. This entails that with your Scotch Whisky Experience Gold Tour ticket you also get access to a little Edinburgh whisky fair taking place in the building. During the experience you get to meet brand ambassadors, distillers and blenders from a selection from Scotland’s distilleries. Take the opportunity to speak with incredibly knowledgeable people and try their whiskies. As part of the experience you also get a little card with four drams included. So that you can go around and choose what whiskies you wish to try. Winter in Edinburgh is the perfect time of year to hide away inside with a dram.

I try to go every year as there is always something fun to try. If you’re lucky you might even meet my husband as he works as a global whisky ambassador for two whisky distilleries that tend to have a stand at the Distillers Fair each year.

♥ There are so many fun whisky tours and tastings around Edinburgh. I’ve gathered some of my favourites, including The Scotch Whisky Experience, in my guide on where to go for a whisky tasting in the city here.

The Amber Bar & Restaurant at The Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh

If you are looking for an excellent spot in Edinburgh to try Scottish Cuisine, look no further than The Amber Bar & Restaurant. There is also a great whisky bar. And it is actually one of the most affordable spots in the city to try scotch whisky. There is a big selection of whiskies available, all sorted by region. The bar team here are always happy to help with recommendations. Or to put together a bespoke whisky flight tailored to your preferences. The menu focuses on Scottish ingredients and dishes with items like the fish soup Cullen Skink, braised beef and sticky toffee pudding.

The Amber restaurant is also one of the best spots in Edinburgh to try haggis. I know a lot of people can be a bit scared to try Scotland’s national dish but I’m here to tell you this spiced and creamy mince with oats is really delicious. Traditionally it is served as a haggis, neeps and tatties – which is haggis with turnips and potatoes – as well as a whisky cream sauce.

My recommendations: try the Cullen Skink soup, traditional haggis, neeps & tatties or the plate with chef’s selection of five Scottish tapas.

Anniversary

2026 is the 25th anniversary of the Amber Restaurant & Whisky bar in Edinburgh and to celebrate there is a special tapas menu which is served with a whisky cocktail. Choose between an old fashioned and a whisky sour to enjoy alongside a Scottish tapas plate made with ingredients like salmon, haggis and goats cheese.

FAQ – The Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh

Need more whisky inspiration for your Scotland trip?

• The Best Whisky Distilleries in Scotland: From Historic Icons to Hidden Gems
• A whisky writers guide to Speyside in Scotland
• Where to go for a whisky tasting in Edinburgh: Scotch whisky tours & distilleries
• The Lost Close Whisky Tasting Edinburgh: an underground Old Town experience
• Johnnie Walker Princes Street Edinburgh: the tours, tastings and rooftop bar
• Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery: one of the best whisky tours in Scotland

Or more recommendations in Edinburgh?

• Edinburgh: A local’s guide and recommendations to things to do and see
• The best hotels in Edinburgh: 19 luxurious recommendations from a local
• Lannan Bakery: a local’s recommendations and review of the most popular bakery in Edinburgh
• The Edinburgh Fringe Festival: the world’s largest arts festival
• The best time to visit Edinburgh: A seasonal travel guide
• The best cocktail bars in Edinburgh: recommendations from a local