The Spiritual Home of Scotch Whisky, distilling once again after 523 years.

With Lindores Abbey’s widely recognised links to the earliest written reference to Scotch Whisky and learning as much as we can from the great Scottish distillers around us, past and present, we are bringing a very modern whisky-making approach to this ancient site.

Address:

Abbey Road, Newburgh, Fife KY14 6HH

This distillery is included as part of our Tayside, Fife... and beyond tour.

Directions: Lindores Abbey Distillery is situated in north west Fife, next to the small town of Newburgh. Just 20 minutes drive from Perth, 30 minutes from Dundee, 1 hour from Edinburgh, or 1 hour 20 minutes from Glasgow.

Opening Hours:

• March-Oct 7 days 10am–4pm (Distillery Tours available at 10am, 12.30pm & 2.30pm)
• Nov-Mar Wed-Sun 10am-4pm, Mon-Tue closed (Distillery Tours available at 10am, 12.30pm & 2.30pm)
• To avoid disappointment, we recommend you book in advance using our online booking system. Refreshments are available if pre-booked.
• Private events, private tours and tastings can all be arranged by appointment on any day.

Podcasts:

In the September 2024 episode of the Distillery Tours podcast we spoke to Drew McKenzie Smith, Managing Director of Lindores Abbey Distillery. Drew talks about growing up on the farm at Lindores Abbey and how, after a stint working away in England, he and his wife Helen returned to create the distillery we know today.

We interviewed Helen Mckenzie-Smith, co-owner of the Lindores Abbey Distillery, in our December 2020 podcast. Helen tells us about the history of the monks at Lindores Abbey, how she and her partner raised the money to build a distillery and the importance of not being ‘Disney-fied’, their approach to bringing up people through their team at the distillery, and of course the release of their first Scotch malt whisky – the 1494!

Tours:

Distilling was taking place on this site at least as early as 1494, although it was most probably happening long before that. We know this because of the earliest written reference to Scotch Whisky (or Aqua Vitae, as it was then known), which appears in the Exchequer Roll of the same year. It mentioned a Brother John Cor, a Lindores monk, who was commissioned by King James IV to turn 8 bolls of malt into Aqua Vitae - 8 Bolls of malt amounts to around 500kg in modern terms and would have been enough to make about 400 bottles of today’s whisky.

In 2017, spirit started flowing once again from copper stills at Lindores Abbey Distillery. Learning as much as we can from the great Scottish distillers around us, past and present, and from others much further afield, we're enjoying bringing a very modern whisky-making approach to this ancient site.

Learn all about the processes and history of whisky making on one of our Distillery Tours or Apothecary Experiences.

DISTILLERY TOURS £15

Learn all about the processes and history of whisky making on one of our Distillery Tours at Lindores Abbey Distillery. Find out what goes into producing whisky, and once you’ve learned the ins and outs of distilling, you’ll be able to try two delicious drams for yourself. We even provide little takeaways for the drivers so no need to drink and drive.

Everyone is welcome - we even welcome well behaved dog owners along with their four legged friends.

Tours are available daily at 10am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm and we advise booking in advance. Maximum 12 people

PRIVATE TOURS

Private group tours can be arranged and can operate throughout the day at times to suit the group. We can tailor the tour to your group’s specific interests and can even create a bespoke VIP Tour upon request. French, German, Spanish and Mandarin Tours can also be arranged.

You may also wish to finish off your Tour Experience with a visit to our Legacy Bar where you can enjoy an array of Aqua Vitae cocktails and drams, or if you are hungry, enjoy some refreshments and choose from our Cheese & Meat Platters or pre-book an Afternoon Tea.

Our Legacy Bar is also the perfect place for Whisky and Chocolate tastings, hosted by our cask custodian or one of our knowledgeable tour guides. We take you through a range of drams, giving you the full tasting experience and have a number of packages to choose from, starting from £25 per person.