Whisky Tour: Discover Old Edinburgh's Whisky History

Explore Edinburgh’s whisky history and savor fine malts on an intimate tour. Learn the craft from field to glass.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Mercat Cross - Begin your tour at the Mercat Cross and uncover the significance of this eight-sided monument steeped in history.
  • Royal Mile - Embark on a sensory adventure through Scotland’s whisky heritage. Discover Edinburgh’s Old Town, the birthplace of the world’s largest Scottish whisky company, and delve into the rich history of “aqua…
What's Included
  • Whisky tasting of 4 drams
  • Small-Group Experience
  • Enhanced with hand-picked sounds of Edinburgh
  • Delivered through TourTalk audio devices
  • Exclusive multi-sensory tours
  • Master Storyteller guides
  • Includes souvenir Glencairn whisky tasting glass
What's Not Included
  • This tour is not suitable for those under the age of 18
Additional Information

Edinburgh’s premier storytellers, Mercat Tours, are transforming the walking tour experience, offering a deeper and more meaningful connection with the city’s history and its people.
Begin a sensory adventure through Scotland’s whisky heritage. Discover Edinburgh’s Old Town, the birthplace of the world’s largest Scottish whisky company, and delve into…

Location
Mercat Cross
High Street
Mercat Cross, High St, Edinburgh EH1 1RF. Look for the 8 sided monument with white Unicorn on top. You will find a member of our visitor services team waiting here to check you in. They will be dressed in black, holding an iPad, wearing an orange lanyard & holding a black & orange umbrella.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(63 Ratings)
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Thgilm0re1
Mar 14, 2026
I highly recommend Mercat Tours! - Mally did a wonderful job teaching us about the history of Whiskey and Edinburgh in a very entertaining and fun way! I highly recommend Mercat Tours!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Williamgoggins1997
Dec 20, 2025
Whiskey is good...and so was the tour! - We had our experience with Mally today! He was a soothing and friendly voice through our tour of Scottish and Whisky history. We enjoyed the extra little facts and the laminated pictures to illustrate the points. Of course the tasting itself was the most engaging part. Set in a underground drinking room with an old school feel that took us back to the 19th century. Tasting each whisky was really interesting and gave us a new appreciation for the craft.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J9786wunatalieb
Dec 6, 2025
Fabulous tour! - Really great tour. Guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. 4 very different drinks to taste. A great experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tracyto4993gn
Aug 19, 2025
Jared’s whisky walking tour. - Jared gave a great account of the history of whisky in Edinburgh as well as a lot of the city’s history. We were able to conclude the walking tour with tasting and assessing 4 types of Scottish whisky. While I’m not much of a fan of whisky, my husband enjoyed them all!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Peggy_w
Aug 14, 2025
Fantastic whisky tasting experience. I would highly recommend this. - Host was well knowledgeable and fun. Selection of whiskies was fantastic. Location was easy to find and not hard to get to.
Review provided by Viator
Lisahoyle7806
Aug 13, 2025
Old town history surroundings and scotch. Perfect combination. - This tour is in the heart of old town with a historical review of scotch whisky brought to life while in the physical surroundings of the past. Then to an underground room for some amazing tastings in a very small group setting. Great stories, very good scotch tasting and time with family makes this a priceless experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shengweiq2023
Aug 12, 2025
Best experience in Edinburgh - Amazing tour! Everything explained by Nicola was outstanding! She is extremely good storyteller! 100% recommended! I would definitely go again if I have the chance
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tracy
Jul 18, 2025
Amazing!!! - Callum was our guide and we were incredibly fortunate that nobody else had booked the tour this day! 3 other colleagues joined in to see if they might like doing this tour in the future. Callum taught us a lot of things regarding the history of whisky in Scotland, and he really was super engaging during the tasting! What was nice, was that 2 of the z3 colleagues who stayed for the tasting were also friendly and lovely to have conversation with! Thoroughly enjoyed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Frank_h
Jul 12, 2025
Educational and fun - If you don’t have time for a distillery tour this is a great way to learn and taste whiskey. Educational and fun
Review provided by Viator
Ciaran_b
Jan 25, 2026
Good but not perfect - Whilst the whisky was enjoyable, the tour beforehand seemed a little disjointed and it wasn't all that easy to follow the timeline. Overall this section could have been more coherent.
Review provided by Viator
From $57
up to 6 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).