Glenkinchie Distillery & Visitors Centre
The home of 'The Edinburgh Malt' is located in the rolling farmland of East Lothian and houses an excellent exhibition in the listed red brick buildings.
Few parts of Scotland can boast of more history than this. In 1745 Prince Charles Edward Stuart reached the peak of his brief power at Prestonpans on the Firth of Forth just north of Glenkinchie, where his Highlanders defeated John Cope's Hanoverian forces with such certainty that London itself seemed under threat.
The contemporary folk song 'Johnny Cope' records Cope's shocking defeat and his reaction after fleeing back to Dunbar, leaving his men.
Distilling (mostly illegal) was taking place here long before the skills of crop rotation were know; in 1777 Edinburgh housed perhaps four hundred illicit distilleries. When the law was changed to permit smaller licensed distilleries, many farmers took out licenses.
By the time Glenkinchie was founded in 1837, 115 licensed distilleries were recorded in the Lowlands, though their products would probably not pass muster today!
Opening Hours
Opening hours 2009
January to March Mon - Fri: 12noon - 4pm
April to October Mon - Sat: 10am - 5pm
Sun: 12noon - 5pm
August Last tour 5pm
November Mon - Sun: 12noon - 4pm
December Mon - Fri: 12noon - 4pm
Closed 23rd December to 3rd January 2010 inclusive.
Last Tour: 1 hour before above closing times.
Children under 8 years are welcome but are not admitted to the production areas.
Contact
Ms
Rhona
Paisley
Glenkinchie Distillery
Pencaitland
Tranent
East Lothian
EH34 5ET
Scotland
Tel: +44 (1875) 342004
Fax: +44 (1875) 342007
E-Mail: rhona.paisley@diageo.com
WWW: http://www.discovering-distilleries.com/glenkinchie
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