Doors Open Day: Scotland's hidden whisky heritage
Edinburgh’s Doors Open Day falls on the weekend of the 24th-25th September in 2022, and there are some very exciting venues lined up to give you a sneak peek behind the scenes in the city. Over the years many venues have opened their doors giving an unexpected view of Edinburgh’s whisky history and heritage. Here are a few of our team’s favourites from over the years of Doors Open Day.
What is Doors Open Day?
Doors Open Day runs throughout September and gives people living and visiting Scotland the chance to explore venues, buildings and places of interest that are usually closed to the public (or are open with more limited hours). Many venues have tours and walk-throughs running throughout the day, and best of all, it’s completely free of charge!
Set in Pattison Street in the heart of Leith, an area of Edinburgh that was once home to a booming whisky industry, this Victorian building was once a purpose-built bonded warehouse, where the infamous Pattison brothers trained 500 parrots to say “Buy Pattisons’ Whisky!” For decades Abbot’s Choice was matured here until it closed in 1985. On past Doors Open Days you could watch the process of cleaning and polishing the antique furniture prior to sale, something that requires a huge amount of finesse to get right. Open for wander to everyone – check their website. And if you head up to the Scotch Whisky Experience afterwards, a bottle of Abbot’s Choice is the very first bottle you’ll spot as you enter our Whisky Collection!
Find out more from 2019 Doors Open
The Maltings, Cramond
Although more closely linked with Cramond’s brewing heritage (the Maltings are connected to the Royal Oak Inn, a pub and brewhouse that was built in the 17th century), anyone who’s taken a whisky tour at the Scotch Whisky Experience will know that malting the barley is an integral part of the whisky-making process. Many distilleries have a combined brewing and distilling history and, while the majority of malting is rarely done onsite at distilleries nowadays, a chance to see the layout of a traditional maltings building should never be passed up.
Royal Auxiliary Air Force – Arthur Sanderson’s home
The splendid and extraordinary Victorian mansion of whisky distiller Arthur Sanderson, now the headquarters of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (since 1925). As a big player in the 1800s whisky industry, Arthur Sanderson collected plenty of fine art to decorate his home, testament to the enduring popularity of Scotch!
Find out more from 2018 Doors Open
Burns Monument
OK, so this isn’t strictly whisky-related, but we do know that Robert Burns loved a dram (with whisky featuring in many of his poems). He know plenty about whisky having been a farmer and also customs officer, so we couldn’t resist including this one in the list. The Burns Monument sits on Regent’s Terrace, overlooking Arthur’s Seat and across the beautiful city of Edina.
Click here to take a Rabbie Burns-inspired walk through Edinburgh
Custom House Leith
A neo-classical building, again set in the bustling port area of Leith, Custom House was built in the 1800s and was where duty was paid on imported or exported cargo. Again, while not strictly whisky, you can bet a fair amount of Scotch was signed, sealed and delivered via this auspicious old building. On Doors Open Day, visitors will get the chance to explore Chris Rutterford’s Mural Exhibition, part of Custom House’s new lease of life as a creative space.
Have fun exploring Scotland on Doors Open Day 2022 or wander around some of the alternative whisky related sites from years gone by.
Learn more about Doors Open Day here.