A NEW distillery is set to open in the heart of Edinburgh, in the site of a former nightclub.
Rose Street pub The Black Cat, which specialises in whisky, has submitted plans to utilise the basement of another popular Edinburgh bar.
The basement of the former nightclub The Bunker on Calton Road, will be transformed into an artisanal distillery specialising in high-quality spirits.
The Black Cat now also owns the Penny Black, which lies just around the corner from the potential site of the new distillery.
Plans for the proposed distillery aim to maintain the building’s natural features, whilst combining it with modern distilling processes.
It will be situated in the basement of a building on 2-6 Calton Road, which currently houses retailers, pubs, and residential occupants, and will be a “small scale, high-quality artisanal distillery”.
Fans of the distilling process will have the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes, as the team plan to include a display of equipment to outline how the production works.
The space was previously home to The Bunker, which has been closed since 2019 and is said to be in a “poor condition”, needing significant renovation before reopening to the public afresh.
The Black Cat purports to be “the only independent public house on Rose Street” and boasts one of the largest whisky selections in New Town.
The potential new distillery would add to the already-booming spirits industry in Edinburgh, which goes back as far as the 16th century.
The Black Cat team took over the renowned rock bar The Black Bull on Leith Street, which has now been renamed the Penny Black.
It takes its new name from the well-known establishment on West Register Street, that used to serve the unusual hours of 5am to noon before closing in 2011.
Plans for the new distillery have been submitted to the council for consideration.
