Scottish Gin Botanicals

Discover what’s at the heart of our gin: the Scottish gin botanicals, carefully chosen for flavour, balance and character.

Built around flavour and balance

Created from the heart by our family team 

Every botanical has a job to do. Some bring structure, some lift the aroma, some add warmth, and some help smooth the edges. Together, they shape the character of our small-batch Scottish gin, distilled by us in Clackmannan and rooted in Scotland’s landscape, heritage and distilling story.

That careful balance helps us create award-winning spirits with real Scottish character, crafted to stand proudly alongside some of the very best in the industry.

Our Scottish Gin Botanicals

Juniper berries used in Heart of Scotland Scottish gin distilled in Clackmannan

JUNIPER

The Heart of Every Gin

Juniper is the defining botanical in every gin and forms the foundation of our award-winning Scottish London Dry Gin. Despite often being referred to as a berry, juniper is actually a seed cone produced by the female juniper plant. These small blue-purple cones contain aromatic oils that create the unmistakable pine, citrus and resinous character that gin is known for.

We source high-quality organic juniper from Albania, a region renowned amongst distillers for producing exceptionally aromatic juniper with a naturally high essential oil content. The combination of climate, altitude and growing conditions helps create seed cones that deliver bright pine notes, subtle citrus character and remarkable consistency from batch to batch.

During distillation, juniper provides the structure around which all other botanicals are balanced. It creates the crisp backbone that supports our citrus, spice, floral and herbal notes while contributing to the clean, refreshing finish expected from a premium London Dry Gin.

The result is a spirit with a classic juniper-forward character, carefully balanced to deliver complexity without overwhelming the palate — a hallmark of traditional gin making and one of the reasons our spirits have earned recognition on the international stage.

Orris root botanical used in Heart of Scotland Scottish gin

ORRIS ROOT

BALANCE & FIXER

Soft and earthy, helping bind the botanicals together and carry the flavour through.

Cubeba pepper botanical used to add aromatic spice to Heart of Scotland gin

CUBEB PEPPER

AROMATIC PEPPER

Dry, aromatic and lightly peppery, bringing extra complexity and a subtle spice note.

Chamomile flowers used in Heart of Scotland Scottish gin.

CHAMOMILE

SOFT FLORAL LIFT

Soft, floral and delicate, helping round the edges and gently soften the aroma. Locally foraged for our Scottish gin.

Bay leaf botanical used in Heart of Scotland Scottish gin

BAY LEAF

HERBAL & SAVOURY

A quiet herbal depth that works beautifully with juniper, citrus and spice.

Coriander seed botanical used to add citrus and spice to our Scottish gin

CORIANDER

CITRUS & SPICE

Bright, citrusy and gently spicy, helping lift the gin through the middle of the palate.

Pimento allspice botanical used in Heart of Scotland gin for warmth and gentle spice

PIMENTO

GENTLE WARMTH

Also known as allspice, adding soft warmth with hints of clove, cinnamon and pepper.

Blackthorn Scottish Sea Salt used in Heart of Scotland gin and vodka

SALT

 COASTAL SMOOTHNESS

A careful touch of Blackthorn Scottish Sea Salt from the Ayrshire coast helps round the edges of our spirits, giving a smoother, richer mouthfeel without making the gin taste salty.

Mixed berries used in some Heart of Scotland seasonal gins

BERRIES

SEASONAL FRUIT LIFT

Mixed berries bring natural fruit character, gentle sweetness and a bright seasonal colour to some of our limited-run gins.

Citrus peel botanical used for brightness in Heart of Scotland gin

ORANGE PEEL

SWEET CITRUS LIFT

A bright citrus note that lifts the aroma and brings a clean, fresh edge.

Sweet cicely botanical used in Heart of Scotland Scottish gin.

SWEET CICELY

FORAGED HERBAL SWEETNESS

A gentle local botanical with soft herbal character and a natural sweetness that supports our dry gin.

Black cardamom botanical used in Heart of Scotland Scottish gin.

BLACK CARDAMOM

WARMTH & SPICE

Warm, gently smoky and spiced, adding depth without overpowering the gin.

Scottish gin flavour wheel showing botanical notes used by Heart of Scotland Distillery in Clackmannan

Our Flavour Profile

Built around classic juniper, our gin layers bright orange peel with warm spice, soft herbal notes and gentle earthy depth.

Coriander seed, cubeb pepper, black cardamom and pimento bring warmth and complexity, while bay leaf and sweet cicely add freshness and balance.

Chamomile softens the edges, orris root helps bind the flavours together, and our Blackthorn Salt finish gives the spirit its smooth, rounded character.

Distilled by us in Clackmannan using Ochil Hills water, every botanical has a purpose and every flavour plays its part.

 Why Our Water Matters – Ours Is From The Hills 

Soft local water from the hills above our distillery.

Water plays a quiet but important role in every spirit we make. At our family-run distillery in Clackmannan, we use water from the Ochil Hills, the rolling landscape that rises above our part of Central Scotland.

For us, it is more than just an ingredient. It helps connect our gin and vodka to the place they are made: Clackmannanshire, Scotland’s smallest county, sitting between Stirling, Edinburgh and Glasgow, right at the heart of Scotland’s distilling story.

We use Ochil Hills water carefully through our process, including dilution, where it helps bring our spirits down to bottling strength while preserving balance, texture and flavour. The result is a spirit that feels smooth, clean and rounded, without losing the character built during distillation.

The Blackthorn Salt Difference

A subtle Scottish coastal finish that helps round, soften and balance our spirits.

We use a careful touch of Blackthorn Scottish Sea Salt in our spirits, sourced from the rugged Ayrshire coast. It is not there to make our gin or vodka taste salty. Used properly, it sits quietly in the background, helping round the mouthfeel, soften sharper edges and bring the flavours together.

Salt can also slightly raise the boiling point of water, supporting a cleaner, more controlled distillation process.

For us, that small detail matters. It helps create spirits that feel smoother, richer and more balanced, while still letting the botanicals and base spirit shine.

The result is subtle: a faint coastal lift, a softer finish and a spirit that feels rounded rather than sharp.

Our Pink Gin Botanicals 

Pomegranate botanical used in Heart of Scotland Pink Gin

POMEGRANATE

JUICY FRUIT BALANCE

Juicy, bright and lightly tart, bringing fruit character without making the gin overly sweet.

Hibiscus botanical used in Heart of Scotland Pink Gin

HIBISCUS

FLORAL FRUIT

Bright, floral and gently fruity, helping shape the colour and character of our Pink Gin.

Pink peppercorns used in Heart of Scotland Pink Gin.

PINK PEPPERCORNS

 FRAGRANT SPICE

Lightly warming and aromatic, adding colour, spice and lift to our Pink Gin.

Lavender botanical used in Heart of Scotland Pink Gin

LAVENDER

Soft, Floral & Herbal

Lavender adds a delicate floral lift to our Pink Gin, softening the bright pomegranate and pink peppercorn with a gentle herbal note and a smooth, rounded finish.

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