Over-18s winter evening tour at Holyrood Distillery exploring Scottish Christmas and Hogmanay traditions, with a cocktail-making session and whisky tasting.
Holyrood Distillery is running a festive edition of Distillery After Dark on selected dates from Friday 27 November to Saturday 23 December. It's an evening tour built around the origins of Scottish Christmas and Hogmanay, tracing the line from ancient midwinter customs and winter superstitions to the stories and rituals that shaped the season.
You'll start with a spiced toddy before a hands-on cocktail session, where you make your own modern twist on the historic posset. From there, the tour looks at the role of fire and burning in winter celebrations—from the Yule log to Scotland's fiery Hogmanay customs—alongside an insight into the whisky-making process. You'll taste the distillery's cask-aged gin and a single malt whisky before the night finishes in the Cask Room.
Ghost stories are woven in throughout: why they became a Christmas tradition, the Victorian fascination with spiritualism and séances, and the story of Edinburgh's own infamous medium, Helen Duncan. It's strictly for over-18s, and you'll need to book in advance.
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Tickets are £35 per person plus a booking fee. The dates run across four weekends: Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November, Friday 4 and Saturday 5 December, Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December, and Friday 18 and Saturday 19 December. You'll find the distillery at 19 St Leonard's Lane, EH8 9SH.
