Amber
354 Castlehill
As the whisky bar within the Scotch Whisky Experience, Amber has a predictably formidable range of around 500 whiskies available on the bar. If that makes choosing hard, the team curates a special selection every month and are able to create bespoke flights based on flavour or themes like rare or limited editions.

The Bothy Bar 
45 Princes Street
While the lower floors of the Johnnie Walker Princes Street visitor experience offer a well-choreographed and engaging intro to whisky, it’s the top floor bars that will capture the interest of any whisky fan, particularly the Bothy Bar with 150 rare and unusual bottlings from Diageo’s 28 Scottish distilleries. If you’re a stranger to whisky, work up through the floors; if not, hit the lift button to the top floor and skip to the good bit.

Kaleidoscope
28 Queen Street
For the most part, to drink in one of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s bars you need to be a member or the guest of a member. Kaleidoscope, however, is open to all and offers something a bit different. Drams are sold under the society’s own coding system for bottlings with the emphasis on flavour rather than the traditional focus on region, style or age. 

Port Of Leith Distillery Bar
11 Whisky Quay
A smart skyline bar above the UK’s first vertical distillery, you don’t have to go on a tour to drink here, but if you have time, it’s fascinating. From the bar, the views of the city and docks are outstanding; so too are the whiskies (flights are available), cocktails and considered small plates. 

Scotch
1 Princes Street 
The whisky bar at The Balmoral Hotel displays 500 or so bottles in a handcrafted oak cabinet, making an impressive initial statement of intent. With soft chairs and sofas it’s more gentleman’s club than a traditional bar with high stools, and uniformed staff will guide you through tasting experiences. Alternatively, seek out their monthly whisky events featuring guest distilleries and bottlers. 

Tipsy Midgie
67 St Leonard’s Hill
Colin Hinds’ whisky bar near the Pleasance manages to convey all the romance of the water of life without the hokum. With suggested drams, tastings and late-night tutored whisky flights, this is a bar where they’ll take you by the hand and guide you through the myths to find a whisky you actually like. 

This TipList is taken from Eat & Drink 365, our sister mag recommending the best in restaurants, bars, cafés and more across Edinburgh. Want a copy? It’s available online or across all good stockists in Scotland’s capital; main picture: Johanna Derry Hall.