Glenkinchie

Address: Glenkinchie Distillery, Pencaitland, Tranent, East Lothian, EH34 5ET, UK Driving Located just outside the village of Pencaitland, Glenkinchie is most easily accessible by car via either the A1 & A68 or the Old Dalkeith Road/A7 & A68. Driving from Edinburgh takes approximately 45 minutes and free on-site parking is available to distillery visitors (subject to availability). The A68 is a country road which is also used by farm traffic, so visitors are asked to take care and ensure they leave plenty of time if unaccustomed to narrow winding roads.

Public Bus From Edinburgh, Lothian Buses (East Coast Buses) operate the X7 from Waterloo Place to Haddington. Change buses in Haddington to the Eve Coaches 123 Gifford Circle to Glenkinchie. Please note the 123 Gifford Circle operates Monday to Saturday. A return ticket can be purchased on the bus - County Plus Day Ticket for less than £10. The total travel time can take around 1 hour 15 minutes depending on connection times. Please use the journey planner at https://www.travelinescotland.com/ Buses returning to Edinburgh via this route leave our distillery throughout the day, but we advise to plan ahead.

Highland Experience Tours Highland Experience Tours offer a return bus journey to Glenkinchie on selected days: https://www.highlandexperience.com/edinburgh-tours/glenkinchie-whisky-experience/

Uber or Taxi Uber will travel to Glenkinchie but may not collect you from the distillery. We can support you by calling a local taxi firm for your return trip to Edinburgh. Please note this trip is more expensive than the Uber trip to Glenkinchie.

Customised Private Transport A more customised transport experience may also be available. This includes collection and return to your hotel and a driver will wait for you at the distillery. Contact neil@saltireexecutivetravel.com or 07803753554 for availability (8-seater).

We look forward to welcoming you at Glenkinchie soon. Please call us on 01875 342 012 for more specific advice.

Please note that the distillery may be closed at short notice in winter due to weather conditions. Please check our Google entry for up-to-date information before you visit us.October - March | Tuesday - Saturday | 10:00 - 17:00 April - September | Tuesday - Saturday | 10:00 - 18:00

Please note that we are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Discover the flavors of Glenkinchie and find your perfect drink, whether you are a loyal whisky lover, a fan of innovative cocktails or a fan of non-alcoholic drinks. The Lowland Bar at Glenkinchie is open at the following times during the distillery's opening hours. October - March | 10:00am - 5:00pm (food orders until 4:00pm, last drink orders at 4:45pm) April - September | 10:00am - 6:00pm (food orders until 5:00pm, last drink orders at 5:45pm) Please note that all under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

View The Lowland Bar menu. Please note that our menu is subject to change.

Sustainability has always been at the heart of Glenkinchie, from the way we make our whisky to the way our visitors enjoy our experience. We’re thrilled that our efforts are being recognised by receiving our Gold Award for Green Tourism, the top certification available. 

The award recognises our green operating credentials, from zero-waste to landfill, to the sustainability of our distillation process and the high standards of water efficiency and stewardship. Here at Glenkinchie, the Lowland home of Johnnie Walker, we’ve also been working on a nature sustainability strategy to encourage pollination and protect wildlife in the local area. This includes the installation of beehives, bat houses, bug boxes, and plantings to attract, feed, and shelter insect pollinators, birds, and other native creatures. There is also a bicycle repair station on site. 

We call Glenkinchie ‘The Garden Distillery’ because we’re heavily influenced by the incredible land and greenery surrounding us. Being in the midst of East Lothian’s abundant lands, full of wildflowers and fragrant grass, has not only made us appreciative of our local environments but also passionate about preserving the natural wonders that inspire our whisky. That’s why our sustainability initiative is so important to us. 

There are many more eco-friendly and sustainable aspects to our distillery, which include: 

• Free water dispenser at the distillery and visible on the Refill app – to reduce plastic bottles 

• Cycle racks for those traveling by bike 

• Bee-friendly plants and beehives Learn more about our eco-friendly initiatives by taking a tour with us. 

We are committed to improving our environmental impact now and in the future. We can’t do this alone though, so we are asking for your support when you visit us. As part of this commitment, we have removed litter bins from the distillery, visitor centre, and surrounding area to help reduce waste at Glenkinchie Distillery and therefore we are asking you to take any litter home with you to help us with this commitment. 

We hope the initiatives we have put in place will make a real difference to our environmental impact and we look forward to improving this year on year.

We’re pleased to have consulted Euan’s Guide to ensure that we provide disabled access information upfront to give all our visitors the confidence to visit our distillery and enjoy the experience. Please do let us know if you have any specific requirements at the time of your booking and a member of staff will be in touch. 

Accessible Parking 

We have 4 disabled parking spaces which are directly in front of our main entrance, the closest space is approximately 20 metres and the furthest is 40 metres. There is a route without any steps or obstacles between these spaces and entering the building. 

Accessible Areas 

The doors in our visitor experience have been designed for wheelchair access. All floors at Glenkinchie are accessible via a lift apart from the Tun Room, which is an older part of the building where the fermentation process happens. During this part of the tour we will show any visitors who cannot access the Tun Room a video of the room and fermentation on an iPad so they do not miss anything. 

Please note that due to health and safety risk assessments, unfortunately we cannot accommodate motorised wheelchairs, however guests can switch to a manual chair provided in site (upon availability). Please note not all areas are accessible due to some stairs however we do have an alternative for the sections not accessible. 

All wheelchair users are welcome to join us for a tour and your guide will offer an alternative to the elements of the tour which are not accessible. 

Accessible Experiences 

Our experiences are quite engaging and immersive. Some of the experiences include theatrical lights and projection effects. This is a tour for everyone so if you have any concerns or require any other needs please get in touch or add a comment at time of booking and we will work to accommodate. 

Accessible Toilets 

Accessible toilets are available within our Visitor Centre on each floor. Our facilities include red cords and handrails. Unfortunately, we do not have accessible changing facilities.

Assistance Animals

Guide and assistance dogs are welcome at Glenkinchie, however, due to health & safety regulations animals are not permitted in the production areas of the distillery. If you are visiting us with a guide or assistance dog, we are happy to make reasonable adjustments to our tours to ensure you have an enjoyable, and above all safe, experience. Please let us know if any specific requirements at time of booking so we can endeavour to deliver a positive visitor experience. 

Dog Policy 

Well behaved dogs are welcome in our shops and bars. Please ensure your dog is under control, and closely supervised by a responsible adult at all times. 

Dogs must be kept on a short lead and must not be allowed to climb on furniture or touch the items in our shop.

Please understand that not everyone likes dogs and/or could have an allergy to your pet - please keep a respectful distance from our team and our other visitors. 

Dogs are not permitted in any back of house areas. Dogs (except assistance dogs) are not permitted in the distillery or on any tours. 

Due to the size of our bars and shops, we may need to limit the number of dogs permitted inside at any one time. 

We reserve the right to ask you to leave should we have any concerns over your dogs’ behaviour or if your dog is disrupting other guests. 

Visiting with Children 

For health and safety reasons, children under 8 years old are not permitted on tours or in the production areas of the distillery. Children under 8 are however welcome in our shop and certain exhibitions and we do have baby changing facilities. Children from 8-17 years are welcome on our tours with a valid child ticket.  

Telephone | 01875 342012 

Email | glenkinchie@malts.com

Glenkinchie Distillery is located in Pencaitland in East Lothian, Scotland, approximately 30 minutes from Edinburgh. Its countryside setting makes it one of the closest major single malt distilleries to the Scottish capital.

Yes. Glenkinchie welcomes visitors throughout the year with guided distillery tours, whisky tastings and immersive visitor experiences

Advance booking is recommended, particularly during busy travel periods, to ensure availability for tours and tasting experiences.

Visitors may be able to access the visitor centre shop and bar without booking a guided tour, depending on availability, although booking a tour offers the full Glenkinchie experience.