Edinburgh whisky distillery plans approved
Edinburgh is set to welcome its first single malt whisky distillery in more than 90 years after a formal planning application was approved by the City of Edinburgh Council.
The distillery aims to open its doors to the public in 2018The Engine Shed building and site on St Leonard’s Lane will be transformed into Holyrood Park Distillery – a micro-distillery and visitor experience – with work due to begin in the coming months.
The distillery aims to open its doors to the public in 2018, initially producing 53,000 litres of alcohol per year, resulting in around 140,000 bottles of mature single malt in eight to 12 years’ time.
An educational facility will also be created as part of the build, offering information about distilling and the history of the site, and the team also hope to host a weekend market in the courtyard for local crafts and products.
Holyrood Park Distillery is a joint development by David Robertson, former Master Distiller for The Macallan, and Rob and Kelly Carpenter, founders of the Canadian branch of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
This approval marks Edinburgh’s first single malt whisky distillery since Glen Sciennes closed in the 1920s.
In August last year, Robertson entered into a lease with the City of Edinburgh Council, and since then the team behind the development has held consultations with local residents and businesses to shape the plans.
David Robertson, project lead of The Holyrood Park Distillery, said: “After years of hard work, our team’s dream of bringing single malt whisky distilling back to Edinburgh is set to become a reality.
“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 Holyrood Park Distillery will employ around 25 staff including trainees, visitor hosts, experienced distillery operators and production managers.
