economy

January 31, 2026

‘Scotland is an exciting place to do business’

Two lifelong friends and whisky fanatics have brought innovation to Scotland’s thriving food and drink scene with the UK’s first vertical distillery

‘Scotland is an exciting place to do business’

TL;DR

  • The Port of Leith Distillery is the UK's first vertical distillery, located in Edinburgh's historic port area.
  • The innovative nine-storey design involves processing grain from the top of the building downwards.
  • Co-founders Ian Stirling and Paddy Fletcher aimed to blend whisky heritage with modern innovation.
  • The distillery is researching the use of brewer's yeast to enhance whisky flavor profiles, diverging from traditional distiller's yeast.
  • The project received support from Innovate UK and collaborated with Heriot-Watt University.
  • The distillery has also launched Lind & Lime, a London dry gin, with significant international sales.
  • The distillery benefits from Scotland's supportive business ecosystem and positive global perception of Scottish products.

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