Bonnington: History, Whisky Production and Visitor Guide
Updated: 2 days ago
Bonnington revived whisky distilling in a former industrial building in the Leith area of Edinburgh. Halewood Artisanal Spirits developed the distillery to support its Crabbie's spirits portfolio.
Whisky production began around March 2020. The distillery introduced its own Inaugural Release in January 2024, a significant milestone because the whisky was site-distilled and had completed maturation in oak rather than being older sourced whisky.
In this guide
Distillery facts
Founders and whisky production history
Making and maturing whisky
Verified bottles and future releases
Visiting and reader poll
FAQs and source credits
Summarise this guide with AI
Bonnington at a glance
History and founders
Bonnington revived whisky distilling in a former industrial building in the Leith area of Edinburgh. Halewood Artisanal Spirits developed the distillery to support its Crabbie's spirits portfolio.
Whisky production began around March 2020. The distillery introduced its own Inaugural Release in January 2024, a significant milestone because the whisky was site-distilled and had completed maturation in oak rather than being older sourced whisky.
The people behind the distillery
Halewood Artisanal Spirits; Crabbie's whisky portfolio. Changes to current ownership or roles should be confirmed directly with the company.
Production and whisky maturation
Bonnington uses traditional copper pot stills and malted barley spirit. Its relatively small stillhouse gives the producer greater control over malt fermentation, distillation and cask filling.
The first Bonnington single malt was matured in a ruby port cask and bottled at 52.3% ABV. Other editions use individual wine or sherry casks, so flavour and colour should not be assumed identical across the range.
Whisky releases and bottle range
This guide separates mature whisky distilled at this facility, where it exists, from new-make spirit or bottles independently sourced from other distilleries. A bottle with a distillery's brand name does not always mean the liquid was made there.
Bonnington Inaugural Release 2024
Three-year-old site-distilled single malt bottled at 52.3% ABV from a ruby port cask; limited to 500 bottles.
Bonnington PX Sherry Cask
Later sherry-influenced single malt releases with bottling strengths and cask details printed on each label.
Bonnington Peated Muscat Cask
A peated limited release matured or finished using Muscat wine cask influence.
Pictured: an authentic whisky bottle associated with this distillery and identified in the release section above.
Awards and notable milestones
The January 2024 release of whisky distilled in Leith was the company's major production milestone. Competition prizes must be tied to named bottles.
Visiting Bonnington
Bonnington is a working industrial distillery and does not appear to run regular public visitor tours. Confirm any private event or producer access before attempting a visit.
Tours, opening hours and future whisky release dates are date-sensitive. Confirm them with the producer before making plans.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Bonnington?
Bonnington, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
When did whisky production begin?
Production began 2020; first site-distilled malt bottled 2024
Is there mature whisky made on site?
Yes. See the specific age and release details above; not every product is necessarily made on site.
Can I visit?
Bonnington is a working industrial distillery and does not appear to run regular public visitor tours. Confirm any private event or producer access before attempting a visit.
Explore more whisky on Whisky Clan
For more Scottish distillery history and mature whisky comparisons, explore our Glenfiddich guide.
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Sources and photograph credits
Research checked 23 October 2026. All external source links are kept at the bottom.
About the author
Whisky Clan researches whisky producers, distillation and bottles, with source material and reader corrections welcomed.
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