If you're planning a trip to the Hebrides and Harris, it is well worth popping into the custom built distillery for a tour and spot of lunch.

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’. The Scottish Gin Awards have revealed gin brands which have successfully achieved medal status in 2023, following the awards dinner in Glasgow this month. Like the breed, this is spicy and lively on the palate with a gentle coating (made with mace, cinnamon and bay leaves).Balmenach Distillery, Cairngorms National Park, Balmenach Rd, Cromdale, Grantown-on-Spey PH26 3PF) Picture: Caorunn Facebook Plus their Christmas gin baubles sparked a national craze when they sold out in record time when they launched in 2017. Winners of the 2023 Scottish Gin Awards announced - including North Uist Distillery and Edinburgh Gin The gins have been well received, but in an exceptionally crowded market, Fairclough undoubtedly has a fight on his hands. He’s branded them well; the 50cl bottles are identical, though each is marked with a splash of colour on the label to hint at the contents within. The tapered bottles are neat, and the logo, in a handwritten font, adds a personal touch, reminding you that this is very much a small, hands on business. Locally, Fairclough has something of a useful tool with which to promote Persie, too – the gin club.

This three hour experience includes a complimentary tutored tasting, instruction and talk from Crossbill’s founder, a personalised 50cl bottle of your own recipe gin and a discount at the distillery shop. An explosion of limes and blood oranges with piny notes on the nose. On the palate there is a sharp citrus cut-through with a long, zingy finish. Simon worked as a consultant for Johnnie Walker and always knew he wanted to run his own distillery,” explains Chrissie.Fans of both whisky and gin will enjoy this newly opened visitor experience at the Benromach Distillery in Speyside.

If you’re choosing the Three Gin Kit and you’d like a mix of Distillery Originals and Dog Gins, that’s no problem. Just choose ‘My Preferred Mix’ and note the gins you’d like in the box below. And whichever kit you decide on, if there’s a mixer you particularly like or don’t like, just let us know. 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. Persie creates aromatic, distinctive gins from its distillery at the base of Glenshee. Gayle Ritchie meets founders Chrissie and Simon Fairclough (and the dogs who’ve inspired some expressions of the tipple!)

The Glasgow Distillery Company

Step 1: Choose the Persie spirit from the options above. You can choose vodka in 70cl size or gin in 50cl or 1 litre size bottles. If you’re booking a tasting and wish to decide on the day, choose Tour Collection Gin; we will have the label printed off and ready to be applied to the gin bottle of your choice. From the capital to the Highlands and Islands - including big names and small, craft distilleries - you may be able to visit your favourite brand and buy a bottle after a tour. The Gin Discovery tour is a basic distillery tour that teaches you the story behind Edinburgh Gin as well as allowing you to see their distillation techniques.