Over the past year, if you've visited Leith, you might have spotted an incredible new building rising from the docks.
The new Port of Leith Distillery is the UK's first vertical whisky distillery, and it's not only impressive from the outside – where it towers over the Royal Yacht Britannia and Ocean Terminal – but also the inside where the team are building what will soon be the capital's newest and most exciting attraction.
Preparing to open in the summer, the Edinburgh Live team were given a sneak peek inside the new site, while the construction work continues to gather pace.
So, with our hard hats, hi-vis vests and safety boots collected, we were given access to this incredible building which features nine floors of whisky-making and visitor experiences.
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The ever-knowledgable Head of Whisky for Port of Leith, Vhaibhav Sood, was on hand to show us around and stepping inside we were quickly blown away by the sheer scale and innovation the distillery displays.
The first four floors are given over to the production of Edinburgh's newest whisky, in a top-down production chain which sees the malted barley move downwards through the floors as it is transformed into that magical uisge beatha.
As Vhaibhav explains: "We have eight main floors and a ninth mezzanine floor, the first four floors which are process and the top four are hospitality and attractions.
"The whole distillery is around 40 metres tall with production beginning on the fourth floor, working downwards from milling, mashing, fermentation and distilling through the floors. While on the hospitality side, we have our bar on the eighth floor with amazing views right to the city, the Royal and Britannia and Fife as well. Below that we have some more areas including the board rooms, private dining, the shop and the tasting rooms.
"And visitors will be welcome to come, discover and experience Port of Leith Distillery which is part of the resurgence of whisky here in Leith and in Edinburgh."
With the Speyside copper stills already installed, the first thing you notice is the view from the still room, but this pales in comparison to the crowning glory that is the view on floor eight, where the future bar and private dining area is set to be.
Seriously, we doubt there is a view like this anywhere in the city, from the eastern window, you get sweeping views out to the Firth of Forth and Fife, while the north window stretches to the Forth bridges, and finally, the western one offers a stunning view of the Britannia, the Castle, the Salisbury Crags and even Calton Hill. It's pretty breathtaking.
Vhaibhav smiles when asked about them, adding: "It definitely has the best office views in the whole of the city, I'd say, there's never a boring day at work."
We now can't wait to get a look at the finished product in the summer, as we can see the bar here quickly establishing itself as one of the most sought-after in the city. We are just imagining enjoying a dram or cocktail, while taking in that view, at night with the city lights glittering. It's going to be magical.
Couple that with a whisky distillery tour that is sure to be unlike any other in Scotland, we think Port of Leith will an exciting addition to the city's already glittering array of visitor attractions.
Even though it's still very much a work in progress, we were bowled over and can't wait to see what the finished article will look like. Whisky fans, tourists and locals alike are surely in for a treat.
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