New capital distillery should be up and running during 2018
Plans have been approved for a new single malt whisky distillery in Edinburgh.
The Holyrood Park Distillery is a joint venture between former Macallan master distiller David Robertson and Rob and Kelly Carpenter, founders of the Canadian branch of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
The project will involve the redevelopment of the Engine Shed building on Edinburgh’s St Leonard’s Lane, which will be converted into a distillery and visitor centre.
Work will begin on the building in the near future, with the directors hoping to begin distilling sometime in 2018.
The distillery will initially produce around 53,000 litres of spirit per year, the equivalent of around 140,000 bottles of single malt.
The founders envisage releasing the first bottles in eight to 12 years.
In addition to the visitor centre, the building will include an educational facility for schools and the local community to learn about distillation, and the owners have plans to host a weekend market for local crafts and products in the building’s courtyard.
“After years of hard work, our team’s dream of bringing single malt whisky distilling back to Edinburgh is set to become a reality,” said Robertson.
“We worked closely with local residents and businesses to build a proposal that will benefit the local community as well as Edinburgh as a whole.
“Work will start later this year and throughout 2017 and by 2018 we hope to be producing beautiful, hand-crafted spirits at our world-class distillery and visitor experience in the heart of Edinburgh.”
The last single malt distillery in Edinburgh is believed to have been Glen Sciennes, which was shut in 1925 and later demolished.
Glen Sciennes’ maltings were located near the Engine Shed building.
