Located at the foot of Glenshee in Perthshire, the Persie Distillery employs a distinctive approach to its gin-making, particularly advocating for the power of aroma to shape the overall drinking experience. Their creations are crafted with a variety of botanicals meticulously chosen not just for their taste but also for their aromatic qualities. The overarching objective is to encapsulate specific, evocative scent profiles that subsequently translate into vivid, delightful flavours on the palate. That's why Persie Distillery is worth a visit. We are a small, family-owned distillery just north of Blairgowrie in Highland Perthshire. The first spirit ran from Phil the Still (!) in March 2016, and the distillery opened to the public four months later. We now welcome visitors throughout the year. If you like what you see and try, you can join the Old Curiosity Gin Club, where you can sample a brand new and exclusive gin flavour every month. When it comes to accommodation in Scotland, there's a fantastic choice of amazing stays from luxury hotels to glamping getaways.

After tasting some of Tennent's products, including exclusive brews, visitors will take a short trip to the distillery where a tour and guided tasting of Makar Gin and single malt awaits.Finally – and most importantly – Persie Distillery is dog friendly! Nicely behaved dogs are welcome in the tasting room but sadly not in production areas. We tend to work out a plan on the day depending on the nature of the dog. Consistently voted one of Scotland's most popular gins, this island spirit has been making waves since it launched in 2015 thanks to its unique taste and eye-catching bottle, which has also won awards. Simon worked as a consultant for Johnnie Walker and always knew he wanted to run his own distillery,” explains Chrissie. At the end of the experience, visitors will fill, label and name their unique creation to take home and enjoy in a branded Darnley’s gift bag.

Persie Labrador Gin is just like the breed: traditional, mellow, soft in the mouth and warming. It is fresh and playful up front, then soft and warming once it settles. What makes it traditional is bags of juniper up front and on the nose, then cardamom and coriander pop up when you add tonic to make it soft and warming. The Master Tour allows visitors to meet one of Oro’s distillers, who will explain exactly how Oro Gin is made (including the science behind the process) and how to make the perfect gin and tonic. Almost 200 gins - all distilled in Scotland - were blind tasted this year and medals awarded in 11 categories. The Gin Discovery tour is a basic distillery tour that teaches you the story behind Edinburgh Gin as well as allowing you to see their distillation techniques. Caorunn gin, created at Balmenach distillery in Speyside, is another of the big whisky distillery gins.Like the breed, this is spicy and lively on the palate with a gentle coating (made with mace, cinnamon and bay leaves). The gin is made using 12 botanicals including the distinctive Icelandic moss and sheep sorrel to make a rich earthy and floral gin. The Connoisseur tour, which is available on Fridays 5-7pm and Saturdays 2-4pm, lasts about two hours and gives a comprehensive insight into the production process and NB's journey in the industry. This is our favourite of the trio by far; it’s complex and totally unique, and with tonic is akin to an ice cream float. We’d garnish with a cherry to keep going down this path and if we were feeling particularly outrageous, we’d probably add a scoop of vanilla ice cream as well.

The tour starts at the Tennent’s Visitor Centre at Wellpark Brewery, an iconic destination that is home to over 450 years of brewing tradition and expertise. The Persie story began in 2013 when the couple, who then lived in Edinburgh, were looking for a change of lifestyle. Like the breed, Spaniel Gin is spirited and spicy but very gentle. This gin has great warmth and intensity with a silky soft coating. Tours are from 12-6pm, Saturday to Thursday, and visitors can hear more about the Persie story and the gin botanicals as well as sampling before buying. They also have a Simmer gin, which is inspired by the Shetland skies and summer twilight and features notes of orange and liquorice, and have created limited edition spirits such as one for the Up Helly Aa Festival.

Tomintoul Distillery

Serve with a light tonic to keep it dry, or sweeten with hibiscus tonic. Tear up a few basil leaves and drop in the glass. Or try a Red Snapper: just add tomato juice and Tabasco, then float a little Fino sherry on the top. Offering two relaxed distillery tours, with plenty of gin and a selection of canapés made by local chefs (include some NB gin infused foods), visitors can chill in the bespoke lounge complete with log burners and comfortable sofas. It leans into a richer, more complex profile, intertwining herbal notes with the subtler complexities of the aromatic botanicals. Persie creates aromatic, distinctive gins from its distillery at the base of Glenshee. Gayle Ritchie meets founders Chrissie and Simon Fairclough (and the dogs who’ve inspired some expressions of the tipple!)