Plan your visit
Stirling sits right in the heart of Scotland, an easy day trip from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth and beyond. Pick your starting point and we will help you plan the perfect day out at the distillery.
At a glance
Stirling is one of the easiest distilleries in Scotland to reach. Find where you are starting from, then open the full guide for routes, tips and what to pair with your visit.
| Starting from | Roughly how long | Getting here | Full guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falkirk | About 20 minutes | Direct train or car, the closest | From Falkirk |
| Perth | About 35 minutes | Direct train or car | From Perth |
| Fife | About 40 minutes | Train from Dunfermline | From Fife |
| Glasgow | About 45 minutes | Direct train from Queen Street | From Glasgow |
| Edinburgh | About an hour | Direct train from Waverley | From Edinburgh |
| Dundee | About an hour | Train, often via Perth | From Dundee |
| Loch Lomond and the Trossachs | From about 30 minutes | Best by car | From the national park |
Travel times are approximate and given for orientation only. Please check current times before you travel.
Where are you starting?
Each guide has real routes by train and car, a local landmark to pair with your day, and a Stirling specific FAQ.
The easiest trip of all. A direct train from Falkirk Grahamston reaches Stirling in about 20 minutes, and the drive up the M9 is just as quick. Pair the Kelpies or the Falkirk Wheel with an afternoon at the distillery for a big day out inside a short drive.
Read the Falkirk guide →A quick, direct train links the Fair City with Stirling. Two historic royal towns, from the crowning place of Scottish kings at Scone Palace to Stirling Castle.
Read the Perth guide →A direct train from Queen Street, and a gin and whisky distillery that none of the other Glasgow guides mention. Add a castle at the top of the same street.
Read the Glasgow guide →An easy swap from the capital. A direct train from Waverley, then a castle, an old town and a distillery all in one relaxed day.
Read the Edinburgh guide →An easy run west, often via Perth. Pair a morning at the V&A Dundee on the waterfront with an afternoon of hand made spirit.
Read the Dundee guide →About 40 minutes from Dunfermline. Follow the Robert the Bruce thread from his resting place at Dunfermline Abbey to Bannockburn beside Stirling.
Read the Fife guide →Stirling sits at the southern gateway to the national park, an easy drop off the hills and a warm plan when the rain sweeps across the lochs.
Read the Trossachs guide →When you get here
However you travel, the welcome is the same. Here is what to book once you arrive at the Old Smiddy.
A guided tasting through our gins, with the story of the distillery.
A guided tasting of our whiskies, including the new make judged the best in the world.
Distil your own bottle to take home, choosing your botanicals along the way.
Short, relaxed tastings that need no booking, perfect if you are just passing.
Good to know
We are Scotland's smallest whisky distillery and the only working distillery in Stirling, making gin and whisky by hand beneath the castle.
Stirling Castle sits at the very top of our street, so a tasting and the ramparts make an easy afternoon together.
See our roundup of distillery tours near Stirling and the best things to do in Stirling.
Stirling is central and well connected. Direct trains run from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Falkirk and many other towns, and the motorway network makes driving simple. We are at the Old Smiddy, 9 Lower Castlehill, a short walk downhill from Stirling Castle.
Of the main towns, Falkirk is the closest, about 20 minutes by direct train or car. Perth and Glasgow are both around 35 to 45 minutes by train, and Edinburgh is about an hour.
Yes. Direct trains from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, Falkirk and Fife reach Stirling, and we are a short walk from the station up into the old town. It makes an easy car free day out.
We recommend booking tours, tastings and the Gin School in advance, especially at weekends. Our walk in mini tastings need no booking, so you can drop in during opening hours.
We are open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm and Sunday from 12 to 5pm, right beneath Stirling Castle.
Wherever you are starting from, a warm welcome and a good dram are waiting at the Old Smiddy. Book your tour or tasting and make a day of it.
Book your visit
