Port of Leith Distillery
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LocationLeith, Edinburgh
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ClientPort of Leith Distillery
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PhotographerThreesixty Architects
Introduction
The Port of Leith Distillery is a landmark waterfront development and the world’s first vertical distillery, redefining how whisky production and visitor experience can be combined within a highly constrained urban site.
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Background
The Port of Leith Distillery is the world’s first vertical distillery, stacking the whisky production process across the first four storeys with a visitor centre, offices and rooftop restaurant above. Located on the quayside, the building takes full advantage of views across the Firth of Forth, the Railway Bridge and the Royal Yacht Britannia, offering a world-class visitor experience centred on whisky production and education.
Challenges
The quayside location sits on land with a complex industrial history, including shipbuilding, land reclamation and recent adjacent developments, resulting in constrained ground conditions and limited working space. The vertical distillery concept introduced significant structural and logistical complexity, with heavy process equipment, tall vessels and silos requiring careful coordination alongside concurrent steel erection and process installation. Restricted access by both road and water further complicated deliveries and site operations.
Solutions
Harley Haddow provided civil and structural engineering expertise to address the demanding site and operational requirements. Solutions included robust structural design to accommodate heavy distilling equipment, detailed coordination of construction sequencing, and extensive vehicle tracking and yard modelling to ensure safe and efficient delivery access. The delivery apron and servicing areas were designed to withstand the operational demands of whisky production, including corrosive spill risk, ensuring a resilient and highly functional distillery within a landmark waterfront setting.
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