The Port of Leith Distillery will be the first purpose-built single malt facility constructed in the capital for more than a century. With its distinctive 40-metre distillery tower, it will also be the first vertically arranged distillery in Scotland.

A statement on the company’s website described the design brief as “ambitious”.

It said: “We aim to eventually produce 400,000lpa (litres pure alcohol) per year as well as welcoming tens of thousands of visitors through the door with a shop and bar. In addition to this, we have included a lab space for analysis and experimentation with students from Heriot Watt, offices and facilities for our staff, and a number of flexible spaces that can be used for exhibitions and public events.”

The statement added: “At the core of the building will be a vertical production process, with grain milling and mashing at the top, leading down through fermentation to distillation at the bottom. Around that, we’re creating a unique experience for our visitors, allowing them to get as close to the process as possible. 

“All of this will be encased in a beautiful, bold and modern building sitting on Leith’s waterfront - a beacon for cruise ships entering the port and an iconic new structure for Edinburgh.”

Company founder Ian Stirling said the project’s backers include a range of private individuals from the UK, America, France and Hong Kong who are all understand the long-term nature of investing in scotch whisky.

Work on the site is due to begin in the spring with the distillery, which will feature a visitor centre, expected to open in August 2020.