Edinburgh · FOOD & DRINK
Scottish food gets defended more than it gets eaten, and a good tour settles the argument. These 15 cover the Old Town tasting walks, the whisky and gin rooms, the chocolate makers and the long lunches — priced, with how much food is genuinely included.
Guided whisky tour and tasting in Edinburgh, with regional aroma lessons, blending secrets, and optional Gold upgrade for four more malts.
“An excellent tour, even for a Scotch novice like myself. I learned a lot and had so much fun. Our guide Alex was fantastic, and very patient - he really made the tour amazing. Highly recommend!”
Intimate Edinburgh whisky tasting in a private lounge. Sample four single malts with history and folklore stories for 2 hours near Royal Mile.
“Alistar was a great and very entertaining storyteller and it was a pleasure to listen to him talk about Scottish history over 4 delicious whiskeys.”
Edinburgh afternoon tea on a vintage Routemaster bus. See key sights, enjoy scones and sweet treats, and sip unlimited tea or coffee.
“The Big Red Bus Afternoon Tea was a blast. The bus sets a fun and quirky mood. The food was delicious and the music selection was great. The driver and the chef were nice and kind. I'm sorry I forgot names. Definitely another unique experience. This was my third trip to Scotland... I try new things. Will recommend.”
Edinburgh Old Town food tour with haggis, neeps and tatties, Scotch whisky and a secret dish, plus iconic sights over about 3 hours.
“If you want to get a taste of Scotland while you’re in Edinburgh, this is the tour for you. Carlos was FANTASTIC, mixing history and stories in with the locations and food that he chose. 100% would recommend!”
Edinburgh at Hot Toddy: a 2-hour Scotch tasting of four single malts with folklore and a local guide. Mobile ticket.
“We had Sabie as our guide. It was really fun learning about the whiskeys in the Hot Toddy, a lovely, comfortable, speak-easy atmosphere. Sabie is an amazing whiskey guide with mesmerizing stories and a deep knowledge of whiskey and scientific processes of whiskey making.”
Vintage Routemaster bus tour in Edinburgh with afternoon tea, prosecco welcome, and optional gin teapot cocktails, with Castle and Parliament views.
“The whole experience was amazing from Mark the driver greeting us to Steven being our guide. The food and variety of choice was also great. We were a group of Seven who were staying in Edinburgh ages ranging from 28-78 and everyone really enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend this experience to everyone fab experience.”
A 9.5-hour Highlands day trip from Edinburgh with dramatic glens, Dunkeld and Pitlochry, Queen’s View, and Dewar’s whisky tasting.
“Excellent tour. The two Sean’s were very knowledgeable and interesting.”
Walk Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns on a small-group food tour with meal-sized tastings, drink pairings, and street-level history.
“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely fantastic Scottish food & drink tour! Walking through the Grassmarket, Old Town, the Royal Mile, and into New Town while tasting our way through Edinburgh was such a fun way to experience the city. Our guide Wag was incredible—knowledgeable, hilarious, and made centuries of history feel alive and effortless. Great food, great drinks, great stories. Do not miss this tour if you want to truly feel Edinburgh. 🥃🏴”
One hour Holyrood Distillery gin and whisky tour in Edinburgh with guided tasting, included admission, and a small-group feel.
“Very informative but honest about things. Pleasant and humourous. She was knowledgeable in everything”
Taste Edinburgh Old Town on a 3.5-hour secret food tour with whisky, haggis, cheeses, venison, afternoon tea sweets, and a surprise dish.
“This was an excellent tour!! The Guide was amazing.”
90-minute underground whisky tasting in Edinburgh Old Town with four regional drams, guided stories, and small-group access to The Lost Close.
“Great setting, patter & whiskey tasting for a beginner. 4 interesting whiskeys from different regions tried and explained”
Guided gin tasting at 56 North Distillery in Edinburgh, with a welcome gin and tonic, three South Loch gin samples, and a cocktail finish.
“This was a fun and interesting afternoon learning about the distilling in a very audience capturing and light hearted way. Our host was very knowledgeable and fun. The samples and full drinks at the start and finish were fabulous and very good value for the price. I would highly recommend to others to visit. The bar and lounge serve food also.”
Sip Scotch in Edinburgh’s Old Town underground vaults. Guided tasting of 4 regions plus optional premium upgrades in about 1.5 hours.
“It was great! Great guide with a lot of perfect story telling and patient! 100% recommend”
Edinburgh Old Town pub and beer walking tour with included cask ale tastings, historic stops, and a small group up to 12.
“Kristy is a fantastic guide and knows her stuff about beer and how it’s been processed through the years. Very personable and engaged with all in the group really well. Loved the side stories of history of Edinburgh she shared as we walked from pub to pub.”
Two-hour Edinburgh beer walking tour through Old Town history and beer money, with tastings at three pubs and a local focus.
“Sarah was great! Lots of knowledge about the city and beer!”
Where readers go next
Every kind of day out in the city, and the best of each.
