Downpour of accolades for Hebridean gin boom

Isle of Lewis gin founders Iain Irvine and Laura Jamieson.

The recent emergence of the Western Isles as a centre of gin production has been recognised in the short lists for this year’s Scottish Gin Awards, with North Uist Distillery leading the way.

More than 200 gins were entered for the competitions and the prominence of island brands is a tribute to the enterprise and skills of young businesses in Lewis, Harris and Uist.

Now based at Nunton Steadings in Benbecula, the producers of Downpour Gin have been short-listed for Scottish Gin Distillery of the Year and for five other awards.

These include Excellence in Branding and Gin Tourist Destination of the Year as well as three specialist categories. North Uist Distillery was founded in 2019 by Kate Macdonald and Jonny Ingledew. It will soon also produce Nunton whisky and first edition casks have already sold out.

The Gin Awards short-lists have given great boosts to two recent start-up businesses in Lewis. Both Isle of Lewis Gin, based in Uig, and Landfall Gin from Stornoway are in the running, along with six others, for Best New Product of the Year.

Stornoway Distillers’ ‘Landfall Navy Strength’ features in the High Strength Gin of the Year category.

In other specialist short-lists, North Uist Distillery’s ‘Downpour Pink Grapefruit Gin’ is named as a potential Old Tom Gin of the Year while their ‘Downpower Coast and Croft’ brand is in the running as Distilled Gin of the Year alongside ‘Stornoway Hebridean Dry Gin’ from Lews Distillery in Steinish. Isle of Harris Gin, Isle of Lewis Gin and Downpour Gin all feature in the short-list for London Dry Gin of the Year. This year’s awards ceremony will take place in Glasgow on October 30th.