Halloween Tasting Tales

The Scotch Whisky Experience is running Halloween Tasting Tales on the 16th, 17th and 18th of October, with each session starting at 3.30pm. It's part of their Tasting Tales range: a tutored hour-long session that works its way through Scotland's distilling heritage using tales, myths and folklore, with each dram paired to a bite-sized artisan canapé from Scotland's larder. You'll be in a private tasting room with one of the venue's senior whisky experts leading the way.

The venue itself is right at the top of the Royal Mile at 354 Castlehill, in Edinburgh's Old Town. It's been showing visitors around Scotch whisky for over 35 years and was named Best Visitor Attraction 2024. Inside is the Diageo Claive Vidiz Scotch Whisky Collection, which arrived in May 2009 and holds 3,384 bottles. Right next door, the Amber Restaurant & Whisky Bar has been serving Scottish food and drink for 25 years, so there's a place to keep going if you fancy it after the tasting.

A few practical things to keep in mind: the session is strictly for over-18s, and you'll need to bring physical photographic ID. Tickets are £55 for adults, and you can reschedule them up to 48 hours before your visit if your plans change. With the 3.30pm start, it's a late-afternoon thing rather than a night out, so it works well if you're spending the day in the Old Town.