Gin On The Rocks!

Edinburgh Castle has launched its first ever gin in collaboration with the award-winning Edinburgh Gin Distillery.

The small-batch gin was created by the Historic Environment Scotland (HES) retail and product team and inspired by Edinburgh’s rich history of gin and its gorse-clad spring landscape. It will be served at official events at Edinburgh Castle, as well as being available as a gin flight in the castle’s ‘Queen Anne Tearoom’. The gin will also become the house pour at Historic Environment Scotland venues across the country, such as Stirling Castle and Urquhart Castle.

Natasha Troitino, HES’s Head of Retail & Product Licensing, who manage Edinburgh Castle 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!”

In the 1700s, Edinburgh-born doctor, George Cleghorn, discovered quinine could be used to prevent malaria. It had a bitter taste, but the addition of water, lime, sugar and – crucially – gin made it far more palatable, leading to the birth of the G&T. By 1777, the first ‘gin craze’ had begun and the Scottish capital was right at the heart of it – with eight licensed distilleries and almost 400 unlicensed stills throughout the city.

Gorse is one of the most eye-catching botanicals found across Edinburgh’s hills and green spaces in spring. Edinburgh Castle Gin is distilled with this vibrant yellow flowering plant at its core, adding a fresh, coconut aroma.

Edinburgh Castle Gin (ABV 43% / 70cl / £36) is available from the Edinburgh Castle shops and via our online shop. A 20cl and 5cl bottle are also available.