Isle of Harris Distillery
There is no denying that Isle of Harris Gin comes in one of the most iconic gin bottles out there. Beyond its striking presentation, this particular gin is also special because it’s infused with sugar kelp seaweed sourced locally.
The distillery is situated in Tarbert, the main settlement on the Isle of Harris, just metres away from the ferry port. It’s the first thing you see as you drive out of the ferry - pretty hard to miss. The distillery is a relatively new addition to the area, having opened its doors back in 2015. However, it has already made a mark in the industry especially through its unique packaging, winning best bottle design at the World Gin Awards 2021, as well as numerous other awards.
Distillery tours are available at a cost of £12.00 per person, which includes a tasting of their gin and whisky. Tours have been running Monday-Friday during 2021, with some restrictions. Unfortunately it was not possible to go on a tour when we visited in fall 2020, but we still paid a visit to the distillery shop.
Historically speaking, the distillery was opened as a way of helping the local community grow by creating new job opportunities and a product that is uniquely Hebridean, which locals can be proud of. It was a way of keeping people together, and help tackle the decline in population.
Even though it is really all about the gin at the moment, the Isle of Harris distillery is primarily a whisky distillery. It takes time to make good whiskey, but that isn’t the case with gin. Therefore coming up with this very successful gin product has been a great way for Isle of Harris Distillery to keep the business going until the whisky is ready to be shared with the world. This whisky, which hasn’t been released yet, will be called The Hearach - the Gaelic word for the people of Harris. It’ll be the first legal whisky produced on the Isle of Harris.
For more information, go have a look at their really nice website.
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