Gin Trail

There’s something about gin that captures the essence of modern Scotland. It feels fresh and fun, but it’s crafted with patience and precision. Each brand has its own signature taste and ingredients, and the flavours that define them are a drinkable celebration of the flora and wild places that make this country unique.

Whisky may have several centuries’ head start in the race to capture the hearts and palettes of visitors, but gin is catching up fast. And it’s no wonder. The essential ingredients are all here – clear, clean, natural water and a unique range of botanicals (the herbs, berries, seeds or roots that give each bottle its distinctive flavour).

West Highland distillers aim to make the taste of a local gin the essence of the place it came from, and when that place is a shady glen bursting with blaeberries, or a machair-clad Hebridean island, you are onto something special.

Lockdown may have put temporary pause on production and visits, but the gin boom is back, with specialist gin distilleries opening and re-opening across Scotland in summer 2021. There are now more than 100 distilleries here, up from only a handful two decades ago, and more are set to open in prime locations shortly.

Gin’s success story is driven by people with a passion for their product and the place it comes from, and accelerated by the fact that this is a drink that lends itself to innovation – from the creation of a new cocktail to the novelty of a colour that changes when you add tonic. The same innovative approach was showcased by the fact that several west coast distilleries diverted their resources to produce hand sanitsers during last year’s lockdown.

While taste is always the top priority, a bottle of gin from one of Scotland’s premier distillers is a gift with a lifespan long after the last drop has been drunk. Premier distillers ensure their liquor stands out with exquisitely designed bottles which are increasingly popping up as features in interior décor, whether a lampshade made from a ridged Harris gin bottle, or a vase splashed with the bright colours of Colonsay’s Wild Island.

Gin also provides a platform for whisky distilleries, especially new ones, as it can be produced much more quickly, so provides an opportunity for businesses to start building a reputation – and a return on investment – before their whisky is mature.

If you’ve never drunk gin before, this is the place, and the season, to discover it. And whether your preference turns out to be for a gin cocktail, iced G&T, or simply by itself, now is the time to toast gin’s future.

GIN

JournEys

A medley of world-class gin distilleries have opened across the West Highlands and islands in recent years, each with its own flavour profile and distinctive bottle. If gin is your thing, the perfect way to find a new favourite (or to learn more about your existing one) is on a distillery tour.

This region’s gin distilleries are often in its wildest and most far-flung corners - places rich in the wild botanicals that make them unique - so it won’t be possible to visit them all in a day-trip, but the reward for a journey is a long drink in a remarkable setting, and even in the Hebrides, there are strongholds, such as Colonsay and the Isle of Skye, where distilleries are relatively close together.

A visit gives you the opportunity to see and hear how a particular gin is produced, discover its heritage, stock up on some head-turning merchandise, and in most cases to enjoy a sample too. And if you want to learn more and taste more, and find that one visit isn’t enough, then why not head to several of the stops on the trail below?

GIN TRAIL

PIxEL SPIRITS

North Ballachulish, PH33 6SA. pixelspiritsltd.co.uk A tiny craft distillery near Glencoe, producing handcrafted Devil’s Staircase Highland Spiced Gin – with a gin school on site so you can try making your own.

BEINN AN TUIRC DISTILLERS

Carradale (near Campbeltown) PA28 6QT. kintyregin.com Based in Torrisdale Castle Estate, this distiller makes Kintyre Gin, with floral notes, a citrus body and a juniper and spice finish. It is sustainably produced using hydro-electricity and local spring water.

FAIRYTALE DISTILLERY

Dornie IV40 8DY fairytaledistillery.co.uk: Overlooking Eilean Donan castle in the north west Highlands, this new distillery produces a variety of gins in a copper still aptly named Tinkerbelle.

ISLE OF SKYE DISTILLERS

Portree, IV51 9ES. isleofskyedistillers.com Using crystal-clear spring water from the Storr Lochs, this distiller’s Misty Isle gin uses 11 botanicals, including juniper, coriander and liquorice root. Shop coming soon.

UISGE LUSACH GAELIC GINS

Isle of Skye, IV43 8QR gaelicwhisky.com Produced on the idyllic Sleat Peninsula at the tip of Skye, these warming Gaelic gins are distilled in a small copper pot still which was once used to produce illicit whisky.

ISLE OF RAASAY DISTILLERY

Raasay, IV40 8PB raasaydistillery.com To the east of Skye, the little island of Raasay should not be overlooked. Its zesty art-deco bottled gin is made with hand-picked local juniper.

BRUICHLADDICH DISTILLERY

Islay, PA49 7UN. thebotanist.com One of Islay’s most celebrated whisky distilleries also produces The Botanist dry gin, which features 22 botanicals hand-foraged from this remote and windswept island.

COLONSAY BEVERAGES

Colonsay, PA61 7YT wildislandgin.com Wild Island Gin is a celebration of the character of the Inner Hebridean island it comes from. This premium 43.7% gin is made using British wheat and wild local botanicals. Sacred Tree gin is also produced here.

WILD THYME SPIRITS

Colonsay, PA61 7YR wildthymespirits.com Inspired by folklore and the beauty of its setting, this small batch, hand-made gin is in a London style and slightly stronger at 47% ABVto accentuate its botanicals. Instead of tours, the distillery hosts a gin-lovers weekend retreat.

ISLE OF ARRAN GIN CO

Whiting Bay, KA27 8DE isleofarrangin.com Arran Gin realises a vision to capture the essence of the island, from shores to moorlands, in its taste. The producers are committed to local partnerships and locally-sourced products.

WHITETAIL GIN

Isle of Mull, PA69 6ES whitetailgincom. Named for the white-tailed eagles that nest near the distillery, this gin aims to share their attributes of strength and power, while also being as subtle and smooth as a drifting feather.

ISLE OF BUTE GIN

Bute, PA20 9AU isleofbutegin.com. Produced in a small distillery in the island’s main town of Rothesay, Bute’s small batch gins are named for local plants, Heather, Oak and Gorse.

ISLE OF HARRIS DISTILLERS

Tarbert, HS3 3DJ harrisdistillery.com The flagship product of this striking distillery in Tarbert harbour, Isle of Harris gin is made in a small copper still next to the larger whisky-making kit. Sugar kelp seaweed as a key ingredient.

LUSSA GIN

Isle of Jura, PA60 7XW lussagin.com An expression of the landscape of Jura’s wild west coast, this gin’s distinctive botanicals are grown and foraged on the island and include watermint, honeysuckle and ground elder.

COMING SOON... ISLE OF COLL GIN

isleofcolldistillery.com: produced in a craft distillery on the beautiful Hebridean island, this gin, infused with heather, bog myrtle and sea kelp, is set to be available later this year.

GLEN LUSS

glenluss.co.uk: Easily accessible on the shores of Loch Lomond, Glen Luss distillery expects to welcome visitors later this year. Its products will include whisky, craft beer and gin.

FASSFERN HIGHLAND GINS AND ROSLIN WHISKY -

ThE TASTE AnD TOAST OF LOChABER

Fassfern Highland gins may be one of Lochaber’s newest products but born from an area steeped in heritage linked to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the ‘45. It is said that the Prince himself picked a white rose from a bush as passed through Fassfern after landing at Glenfinnan, this becoming the symbol of the Jacobite cause right through to the present day.

Local plants also feature prominently in one of the new gins, which has the flavoursome content of wild Lochaber Brambles, carefully picked and selected at their prime before being added into the gin making process. This has proved to be very popular to the palates of gin lovers and plans are already in place to increase collection of the berries at the height of this year’s growing season.

Second of the small batch production is a dry Highland gin, featuring the smooth flavours of Juniper and citrus, equally palatable in bringing out the slightly more bitter subtlety of the liquid. Conceived and created by Aaron Ross and his recently deceased father, Colin, a ‘whisky man’ for over half a century, highly regarded in the international industry and much loved locally, the business also offers a 15 year old single malt Allt a’ Mhullin, marketed under the brand ‘Roslin’, the name of Colin’s house.

Laid down in barrels previously used for a number of other alcoholic drinks over a long period of time, it is instilled with a unique flavour, making it a highly desirable, much sought after product by individuals who enjoy a whisky and dealers alike.

A quality product, with each label and box bearing a facsimile of Colin’s signature, the very first bottle was hand labelled by Colin himself just before he passed away. This will remain in the family as an ongoing symbol of his everlasting presence in their lives and that of the business.

Aaron said: “This was a project Dad and I were working on for some time, in developing the products, how they would be marketed, and even right down to the design of the packaging. We never expected that he would not be with us when we were ready to launch, but am really happy he was able to see what we had achieved together and celebrate his role by hand labelling and signing the very first bottle”.

Other than the drinks, Fassfern also offers a range of glassware from which to enjoy their products.

Fassfern Gin is available online, by post and they offer free local delivery. The bottles are also stocked in the Ben Nevis Highland Centre and Rain Bakery in Fort William as well as a number of local hotels, restaurants and pubs.

Fassfern Gin is not available from Fassfern Estate, however, if you are in the area, it is a beautiful place to take a walk, situated just 6 miles outside Fort William, on the road to Mallaig. Whilst here, you can take in the stunning views around the beautiful woodland. There are three stunning woodland walks marked out around the estate. As well as an amazing range of bird wildlife there are many species of butterfly, a pond and of course views of the river Suileag.

Like the fern, the scenery changes with every new season.