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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Sean Murphy

Edinburgh Castle launches its first ever Scottish gin

It's one of Scotland's most famous landmarks, having sat proudly in the centre of the capital for over 900 years.

Now the over two million tourists who visited Edinburgh Castle every year (in pre-pandemic times) will have something to remember their trip by after a special new Scottish gin was created in its honour.

The iconic visitor attraction has created the exciting new gin in collaboration with the award-winning Edinburgh Gin distillery.

The small-batch spirit has been inspired by the city's rich heritage of distilling and brewing, and will feature a local plant that will be familiar to the many people who have climbed the nearby Arthur's Seat to get a unique view of the castle.

Gorse, the vibrant yellow flowering plant that dots the hills around the capital, will bring a fresh, coconut aroma the new London-Dry style gin, while pink grapefruit and yuzu bring sweet, tart notes and bee pollen accentuates the floral flavours of the gorse.

On the finish, pink pepper will deliver a long-lasting kick of heat.

The distilling team say the new gin is perfect on the “rocks” in a traditional G&T with ice, a splash of tonic water and a grapefruit twist.

Available in three different sizes, 70cl (£36), 20CL (£14), and 5CL (£4.50) it is available to buy now from the Historic Scotland website.

Natasha Troitino, Head of Retail & Product Licensing at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “We worked with the award-winning experts on our doorstep, Edinburgh Gin, to create this fresh and fragrant distillation.

“The medieval poetry, Y Gododdin, talks of warriors drinking mead on Castle Rock before riding into battle. Barrels of ale were even used to helps Scots reclaim the castle during a surprise attack in 1341. But, in Edinburgh Castle’s long, illustrious history, this is its first-ever gin!”

Dave Wilkinson, Head Distiller at Edinburgh Gin, said: “The Castle is central to Edinburgh’s landscape, and we wanted to create a gin that captured its beauty. Yellow gorse brightens up the city in spring, so it seemed like the perfect botanical to distil for this project."

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