Dunnet Bay Distillery's New Shop Boosts Star Quality
5th September 2018
AWARDED THE HIGHEST ACCOLADE FROM VISIT SCOTLAND.
Dunnet Bay Distillery, the UK's most northerly mainland is distillery, has secured a highly sought-after five star rating from Visit Scotland, recognising it as one of the country's top tourist attractions. The distillery, which is located in Caithness and on the North Coast 500 route, picked up the accolade for the regular tours it hosts for visitors, which include tutored tastings of its multi award-winning spirits.
Run by husband and wife team, Martin and Claire Murray, the distillery is most famous for producing the acclaimed Rock Rose Gin and Holy Grass Vodka. Created to express a true taste of the Scottish Highlands, both spirits feature local, hand-foraged botanicals sourced from the nearly cliffs and forest, along with those grown in the distillery's very own botanical garden. A true craft distillery, both spirits are carefully and slowly hand-distilled in traditional copper pots, before being individually wax sealed and signed.
To meet growing visitor demand, the one-hour tours now run twice a day, every day, Monday to Saturday. Proceedings kick off with a Rock Rose Gin and Tonic on their comfy couches by the fire, before guests are taken over to the distillery to meet their two traditional copper pot stills; Margaret and Elizabeth. Here they are taught about the stills and bottling equipment before they head to the Tasting Room for a tutored tasting of the spirits.
The new Five Star rating follows a significant £300,000 investment in the distillery to increase capacity and open the new visitors centre, which boasts the brand new Tasting Room.
Claire Murray, Co-Founder, Dunnet Bay Distillers, says, "We feel so honoured to have achieved the full five star rating from Visit Scotland, which recognises the exceptional level of customer service visitors to our wee distillery can expect. Martin and I are both so passionate about the Scottish Highlands and our beautiful hometown of Caithness, so it’s fantastic to think we are encouraging more people to visit, explore the area and of course enjoy a delicious G&T too!"
Dunnet Bay Distillery tours cost £12, open Monday - Saturday, 11am and 2pm until 31st October 2018. During November and December, tours will run on Saturday’s only.
To book visit www.dunnetbaydistillers.co.uk
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Highlands and Islands. With a total of 15 award categories recognising a range of diverse businesses from best products to food and drink experiences and outstanding retailers, the winners represent the cream of the crop.
Dunnet Bay Distillers to expand and create jobs with HIE support. Dunnet Bay Distillers Ltd is owned by local husband and wife team, Claire and Martin Murray and has secured up to £180,200 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for the project.
Dunnet Bay Distillers has submitted a planning application to Highland Council asking permission to refurbish a 200 year-old mill and surrounding land at Castletown, near its headquarters. The Caithness company produce the Rock Rose Gin and Holy Grass Vodka brands and took over the mill last year.
SCDI Highlands & Islands Chair's Award for Outstanding Business Achievement was won for 2021 by Dunnet Bay Distillers. Going from strength to strength Dunnet Bay Distillers have grown to add another still, shop and to cater for the growing number of tourists visiting via the North Coast 500 route.
The national awards programme which celebrates excellence in Scottish gin has revealed the names of the best gins made in Scotland this year, as part of its 3rd annual competition. The Scottish Gin Awards revealed the winners last night following a rigorous judging process involving 30 leading experts from across the UK, the assessment of 104 written entries and the blind tasting of 173 gins, all distilled in Scotland.
Local food and drink businesses are celebrating after being named finalists in the Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards (HIFAD) 2019. HIFAD celebrate passion, quality and innovation throughout the region.
The UK's most northerly mainland distillery, Dunnet Bay Distillers, is scouring the UK for exceptional artwork to feature in its debut exhibition, ‘Inspired by Gin'. The distillery will play host to the exhibition from December 2019 - March 2020 at its new Visitor Centre, which is a VisitScotland 5 Star Visitor Attraction and a centre for food and drink, culture and heritage tourism.
This May, Dunnet Bay Distillers, will launch a new permanent addition to its portfolio - Holy Grass Vodka - Cold Brew Coffee Edition. This delicious coffee flavoured vodka has been created in partnership with Glasgow based, the Ovenbird Coffee Roasters.
Uniquely Refreshing Pink Grapefruit Gin. This Month, Scotland's most northerly mainland distillery, Dunnet Bay, is announcing the launch of a new gin, set to become a permanent part of its portfolio.
KICKING OF WITH THE CLOOTIE DUMPLING GIN. The UK's most northerly mainland distillery, Dunnet Bay Distillers, has announced the launch of a new Creative Collection Series.
