Sitting on the city’s Southside, close to The Meadows, 56 North Distillery (2 W Crosscauseway, Newington) reveals how their award-winning South Loch Gins are created during this 1.5-hour gin experience.
The interactive tour includes information on the botanical production and a visit to the oldest dedicated gin bar, which boasts over 300 types of gin.
Guests sample three gins that are made on the premises and use a bit of their new-found knowledge, plus support from tasting notes to identify what’s in the glass, or they can sip while they think!
And, if you time it right, you might just get to try a soon-to-be-released secret potion!
The tour wraps up with a gin cocktail.
Reserve your spot here.
Back to Scotland’s oldest gin bar at 56 North (2 W Crosscauseway) for a 2-hour tasting session, ideal for those who want to drink without touring the copper stills.
The session lines up eight different flavours of gin for tasting, paired with cheese, while a professional tour guide talks the group through the history and process of gin making in Scotland.
Reserve your spot here.
Cheese fans, there’s a cheese crawl in the city! Read all about it in our food tour guide.
Location & Setting
56 North sits on the Southside at 2 West Crosscauseway in Newington, a short walk from The Meadows and easily reached on foot from the Old Town and city centre. The distillery doubles as Scotland’s oldest dedicated gin bar, so the tasting happens where the gin is actually made.
The Gin Experience
The signature 1.5-hour experience is an interactive walk through the botanical production of the award-winning South Loch Gins, followed by three tasting pours of gins made on the premises. Tasting notes help you pick out the botanicals, and the session wraps up with a gin cocktail.
If you prefer to taste without touring the copper stills, 56 North also runs a two-hour gin-and-cheese pairing that lines up eight different gins against a cheese board while a guide talks you through the history and process of Scottish gin making.
Who It Suits
It suits both first-timers who want the full distillery story and seasoned gin fans who come for the 300-strong bar. The gin-and-cheese format is the easier, tour-free option for groups who just want to taste and chat.
Practical Tips
- Book ahead — both formats run to a schedule and sell out at weekends
- Bring photo ID; proof of age may be requested
- It’s on the Southside, so pair it with a walk across The Meadows
- Choose the tour for hands-on distilling or the gin-and-cheese session for pure tasting
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is 56 North Distillery?
It’s at 2 West Crosscauseway on Edinburgh’s Southside in Newington, a short walk from The Meadows and the Old Town.
What’s the difference between the two 56 North experiences?
The 1.5-hour tour covers gin production with three tastings and a cocktail; the two-hour gin-and-cheese session skips the still tour and pairs eight gins with cheese.
