The distillery is quite a different one as we have gone for a 100% copper bespoke designed and hand-built Bennet Style Still from Italy (yes it was over a year late, but now its running it is truly a remarkable distilling system). We have a rectifying column and infusion basket, so we can distil a huge range of products from rums right through to floral and delicate spirits. USP: Genius IPA brings together Mosaic, Simcoe, and Citra hops. At 79 calories and 3% abv, each can is one unit of alcohol and features calorie, units, and nutrition labelling. Using peppermint for flavour, and bilberry and hibiscus for colour, pour yourself a G&T with festive flair this Christmas.

With the PhD not being something I wanted to carry out for another 5 years, I spoke with my mum, Jacquie, and said that I didn’t want to continue with this career direction. She replied, “What would you like to do?”, I replied, “Well I would like to make gin.” She then sent me out of the house to play some golf and have a think about this choice. When I returned from my round of golf, I walked in and mum said, “right, I have found a MSc in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University and 5 apartments across Edinburgh. I have spoken to the Head of Department and he said my credentials are fine, the only issue is the course starts in two weeks…”. Enrolment happened straight away and then we said, “Ok, time to phone dad as he needs to fly to Edinburgh tomorrow to look at these apartments”. The whole process was a whirlwind career change. USP: The gin is created by barrel-resting the distiller’s flagship Betty’s Gin for six months, resulting in notes of oak that are “reminiscent of whisky”. The bottle is also inspired by the location and features a forest green ombre, which reflects the landscape that surrounds Ullapool.

With a stellar cast of fifty unique gins, here are the boutique tipples reinvigorating the landscapes of Scottish gin. This utterly refreshing compendium is a treat for fans of all things Scottish and all things gin. Harris Gin is made using nine botanicals including locally-sourced, hand-dived sugar kelp (which gives the gin its coastal flavour) and produced in a small copper still – affectionately known as ‘The Dottach’. We also offer a master tour, which is with the Head distiller and we spend over 2 and half hours discussing all things gin. On top of the standard tour we taste many creations from the lab and discuss the scientific extraction of flavour. This is a very in-depth tour with Ray Jnr and involves discussion on a more chemical nature, aimed at gin super enthusiasts or industry members. So far the main collection consists of an original gin, spiced gin and navy strength gin, with a berry edition released last year as part of the cottage collection. Glass in hand, Gin Galore will lead you on a journey to the source of Scotland’s gin in all its botanical, flavourful glory.

Currently one of Scotland’s most prolific gin producers, the distillery has released a wide range of gins including their intriguing Hop gin, the punchy Oak gin and the sweet tasting Love gin, as well as a range of liqueurs. Discovering Uist’s food and drink - from smoked salmon to award-winning gin Port of Leith Distillery (Tower Street, Leith Edinburgh) Picture: Port of Leith Distillery They now produce two small batch gins, with a cask of rum nearly in its second year of aging. Oro, the more classical of the two gins, is distilled with 15 botanicals including pink pepper, lemongrass, cassia bark, cinnamon and a fantastic juniper. Oro V, is a smooth, delicate gin with a subtle juniper starting point balanced with fresh lavender, crisp citrus and gentle orris. USP: Manchester Gin has partnered with florists Interflora to create a gin designed to be enjoyed both warm and cold. The Chamomile and Echinacea Gin features botanicals including echinacea, chamomile, nutmeg, lemon verbena and cassia bark. 100% of the profits will go to The Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

To find out more about this distillery and gin, the team offer hour long tours which tell of this history of the estate and the gin journey. In 2017 they moved the distilling from London to St Andrew’s and added a ‘Distil Your Own’ experience to their tour offering, inviting visitors to create their own recipe from a selection of botanicals and distil a 70cl bottle of gin to take home. USP: “Strathearn’s New Make Spirit is named “The Heart”, owing to the eponymous middle cut in the distillation process; the spirit that is collected and destined to later become Strathearn’s Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.” Tours are from 12-6pm, Saturday to Thursday, and visitors can hear more about the Persie story and the gin botanicals as well as sampling before buying.