Distilled, bottled and labelled in the shadow of Stirling Castle, Stirling Distillery have been offering daily gin and whisky tastings, distillery tours and a weekly gin school since 2019. Known for their award-winning London dry gin made with foraged Stirlingshire nettles, Stirling Distillery expanded into whisky in 2023. Their range of products celebrate local history and folklore, such as their Battle Strength gin which commemorates the Battle of Stirling Bridge and features custom artwork from Scottish artist Ritchie Collins. Their Green Lady liqueur was made in memory of Mary Queen of Scots’ lady in waiting who perished in a fire inside Stirling Castle and similarly their Pink Gin tells the story of the pink lady ghost who is said to roam the halls of the Castle.
In 2019 the family-run business opened Stirling’s first legal distillery in a historic building locally known as The Old Smiddy. Located in the shadow of Stirling Castle, the structure was first built in 1888. Legend tells us it was the site where King James VI stabled his horses in the 1500s and when it was first built, it acted as a local church temperance hall.
Distillery co-founder Cameron McCann spoke about the distillery’s progress.
“I’m proud of how we have evolved as a business and excited about our move into whisky. We’re all looking forward to seeing how this matures in our casks and grateful to everyone who has been part of our journey so far.”
Whisky hadn’t been produced in Stirling since 1852 when the original Stirling Distillery closed its doors. That changed when production of their new-make spirit began in October 2023.
Making just 20,000 litres a year, they sit as Scotland’s smallest whisky distillery. Recently recognised at the World Whiskies Awards, the distillery’s new-make spirit was crowned Best Scottish New Make, a testament to its commitment to quality and craftsmanship.
Regularly awarded a Travellers’ Choice Award from online travel website TripAdvisor, Stirling Distillery is listed as the number one thing to do in Stirling on their website where they have received over 900 five-star reviews of their gin and whisky experiences. The team welcome guests from across the world to the ‘Old Smiddy’.
As well as this visitor experience recognition, the distillery has also received a range of awards for their gins including silver and bronze awards at the Scottish Gin Awards, a coveted Great Taste star, plus a range of London Spirits Awards to name a few. Their wee distillery shop, with gins, whiskies and gifts is also well worth a visit.
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Website: https://stirlingdistillery.com/
