The Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre (Edinburgh)

Visitors with a taste for a wee dram will find the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre an intoxicating experience during cheap city breaks in Edinburgh. Located invitingly close to Edinburgh Castle, this is one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, and is an enlightening experience delving into the history, science and popular culture of Scotch whisky drinking. You will get a unique view of its origins with a funfair style barrel ride through a colourful history of distilling, smuggling and an insight into the subtle differences between malt, grain and blended whisky.

 

The tour takes around one hour, but many enthusiasts opt to spend all day at the Scotch Whisky Training School which gives a more detailed insight and hands on study into the art of blending whisky, complete with an official certificate at the end. There is the world’s largest collection of malt whiskies on show here and group and individual tutored tasting sessions are a popular feature for all enthusiasts, with over 300 varieties to sample. Short breaks in Edinburgh at the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre are just as fascinating for kids too. There is a special interactive history tour for youngsters, led by the lovable distillery cat and the ‘ghost’ of the master blender. It offers a captivating way to learn about history and have a little fun in the process.

 

The centre also has a fine dining restaurant and whisky bar, which will introduce whisky lovers to the joys of cooking with the famous Caledonian ‘water of life.’ There is a comprehensive menu of tasty, well priced meals, all using whisky as a major ingredient, and the elegant gift shop offers a wide range of gift wrapped bottles and souvenirs to take home as a memento of weekend breaks in Edinburgh. The Centre also hosts extra special events and entertainment during busy periods, such as New Year, Burns Night and during the famous Edinburgh Festival.