Where It All Began…

Robert and John Cockburn found Cockburns of Leith

First premises and warehouse on Duke Street, Leith. The warehouse stands to this day.

Robert Cockburn establishes Cockburns Port.

Robert returns to Portugal after first visiting the country as a soldier fighting under Wellington in the Napoleonic Wars. The brand he founded continues today as Cockburns Port.

Cockburns of Leith open premises at the Foot of the Walk, Leith

Customers include Sir Walter Scott and his wife Charlotte Carpenter; the Marquess of Ely; and the Earl of Minto

Cockburns of Leith receives a Royal Warrant for supplying wine and spirits to George IV on his visit to Edinburgh – the first of any British monarch in nearly two hundred years.

John and Robert Cockburn part ways

Robert continues with Cockburns of Leith and John is part of establishing Cockburns and Campbell, a fellow wine and spirits merchant Robert’s two sons, Archibald and Alexander, manage Cockburns Port from London while Robert remains in Edinburgh to manage Cockburns of Leith

Robert Cockburn dies, leaving the firm to pass to private hands

Cockburns of Leith moves from Duke Street to bigger dwellings on Constitution Street, Leith

Cockburns of Leith has set up shop at 83 St George’s Place, Glasgow, 2 Randolph Place, Edinburgh, and 8 Lime Street, London – the latter two remain as its headquarters until the mid twentieth century Cockburns also maintains an overseas branch in Punjab, India

Cockburns of Leith continues to maintain these two headquarters in Edinburgh and London where it plays a leading role in wine and spirit commercial life. From there, it continues to ship wine and spirits across the British Empire

Seagrams acquires Cockburns of Leith from private hands

Drambuie acquires Cockburns of Leith from Seagrams

Cockburns of Leith maintains premises at 1 Melville Place in Edinburgh’s New Town where it hosts regular supper clubs

Wine Company (Scotland) acquires Cockburns of Leith from Drambuie

Cockburns of Leith merges with fellow Edinburgh wine merchant, JE Hogg of Cumberland Street

A management buyout of Cockburns of Leith takes the company back into independent hands

Murray Capital acquires Cockburns of Leith adding to there wine portfolio.

Cockburns of Leith re-opens its first premises in Edinburgh to the public for over 40 years with a modern store on Frederick Street, Edinburgh

Warmly welcomed to the local Edinburgh community and across the UK. Cockburns of Leith were delighted to receive Decanter Retailer Awards ” Best Regional Wine Shop Scotland 2023″. Our Founder’s Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky was a Finalist in the Scottish Whisky Awards 2023 “Best Blended Scotch Category.