Isle Of Harris Gin

The Isle of Harris Distillery began with a simple idea. The inspiration came from founder Anderson 'Burr' Bakewell, who has been bound to the island of Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland through a long connection with nearby Scarp. Bakewell has spent many decades of his life among the beautiful landscapes of Harris and people of this community. He believed that the rare and elusive spirit of this island should be captured in a bottle and shared with the world, as well as create something positive for the community. Over the decades 'Burr', like many others, noted with sadness the decline in the island's population, over the last fifty years. down to less than 2,000 people today. He thought if he could build this business, more young people would stay to work at the distillery, and continue a happy, healthy life on Harris.

So, he gathered a group of like-minded individuals around him, including 2 American investors, and set out on a 7 year journey to bring his ambitions to reality. September 24th, 2015 saw his simple idea finally come to fruition as the doors to the Isle of Harris Distillery opened for the first time. That day, they all gathered to light an inaugural fire in the distillery hearth's. Three generations of Hearaich, the Gaelic word for the people of Harris, each placed a fàd, or block, of peat on the blaze to mark the occasion. Then they threw the largest ceilidh the island had ever seen with hundreds of fellow islanders joining us in the cask warehouse for a night of music, dancing and song, as the first of this new island spirit flowed.

The distillery started life with just 10 people and an ambition to double this number over the next five years. Today, they are proud to say they employ almost 40 permanent staff, a highly significant number in an island of fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. In these early days, it is clear that Burr's vision is already making a real difference in the Isle of Harris. As a catalyst for positive change within the community, they continue to work with purpose, bringing new life to this beautiful island and supporting its aspirations to survive and thrive in the 21st century.

"Far am bi toil, bidh gnìomh..."

"We make every drop of our award-winning Isle of Harris Gin here in the small village of Tarbert."

This Gin is the distillery's first release, made in a small copper gin still which sits alongside her larger whisky-making sisters in the distillery's bright Spirit Hall. They've nicknamed the gin still 'The Dotach' in honor of a similarly small and feisty local woman who is fondly remembered here in Harris from days gone by. Using Sugar Kelp seaweed, gathered sustainably by hand from local sea-lochs, is their key botanical to express the island's unique maritime nature. The spirit is softened by the fresh, low-mineral rainwaters which flow from the nearby source stream of Abhainn Cnoc a ’Charrain. Other botanicals include juniper, cassia bark, coriander seed, angelica root, orange peel, cubebs, licorice root and orris root. They bottle Isle of Harris Gin by hand at the distillery too, in a gorgeous blue-ish/sea colored bottle before applying the labels and closing each one with a natural cork and wood stopper. Finally, they apply a paper seal bearing the distillery's geographical coordinates to every single bottle by hand, the guarantee of a truly Outer Hebridean Gin, made in the Isle of Harris and nowhere else.

We tasted this and fell in love! And we are true Gin lovers. This product is exceptional and we cannot for you to experience it as well. Serve it as a dry gin martini, or as a gin and tonic with a wedge of fresh grapefruit, or create your own gin drink with grapefruit sparkling water and/or mix in a fine cordial made with pamplemousse.

"If you can't get to outer space, then the feeling of freedom which comes with diving for Sugar Kelp is the next best thing. It's an adventure every day taking the plunge to harvest their golden fronds..." Lewis Mackenzie, Sugar Kelp Harvester