Gordon Castle Gin
Fochabers
History - The historic and vast Gordon Castle Estate is located in Fochabers, a 90 minute journey from Aberdeen in the heart of whisky country with over 50 single malt distilleries on its doorstep. This family owned 15th Century castle is one of Scotland’s finest sporting estates with beautiful grounds including its famous eight-acre walled garden. Its hosts weddings, corporate events and offers several traditional country sports including eight miles of fly-fishing beats with ghillie support on the world renowned River Spey. Back in 2014 the owner of of Castle Gordon, Angus Gordon Lennox launched a super-premium gin using botanicals such as mint and lavender sourced from within the grounds’ walled garden.
The Gin – The gin is created in small-batches and hand filled from the Gordon Castle estate just next to the River Spey. The estate is also home to luxury holiday accommodation and function suites, plus a shop, cafe, walled garden and salmon fishing. They take botanicals grown in the estate’s famous walled garden and has a vibrant, fresh and floral profile, which has won several awards since its creation. As well as The Castle Gordon Gin they also have two gin liqueurs infused with fruit from the garden for a period of months to create their Raspberry and Plum liqueurs.
Geek Fact - The Gordon Castle Estate actually has more history with Scotch than it does with gin. The Gordon Estates once stretched from Deeside to Speyside, encompassing lands and rivers where many of the most famous Scottish malt whisky distilleries are still to be found. It was the intervention of the 5th Duke of Gordon that first led to the legalisation of whisky distilling in the Highlands of Scotland. He informed Parliament that his tenants in Strathavon and Glenlivet could not be prevented from distilling whisky illicitly. Demonstrating a keen eye for business, when the subsequent Act of Parliament was passed in 1823, the 5th Duke immediately encouraged one of his tenants, George Smith, to take advantage of the new law and establish a ‘legal’ whisky still. George Smith started the first ever licensed distillery in Glenlivet in 1824 and in 1858 the 5th Duke provided George Smith with the land on which the present day Glenlivet distillery is sited.
Why Visit? – You could happily spend the day here as there is so much to do as well as booking in to a gin tour. If you are wanting the full experience though you could book into their Gordon Castle Gin Feast; a sumptuous 4-course meal served with 4 matching Gordon Castle Gin Cocktails.
Interesting fact – The History of The Gordon Castle Estate is a vast one. The family of Gordon is an ancient clan whose lineage dates back to the reign of King Robert the Bruce in the 14th Century. A castle was first established on the site of the Estate in 1479 by George, Second Earl of Huntly, the great, great grandson of Sir Adam Gordon, who had fought with Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Inverury in 1308.
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