Seeking The Most Remote Bar In Scotland [Sponsored by Lone Wolf Gin]
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BrewDog may be better known for their cult beers, but they also distill a range of spirits at their base in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. To celebrate the launch of BrewDog’s LoneWolf Gin, I was invited on a mystery tour to find the most remote gin bar in Scotland, specially set up for the occasion.
Becoming completely lost in central Glasgow before even reaching the airport meeting point was fairly typical and not the best start. I had visions of being whisked off to an island location in a light aircraft, given my childhood memories of catching the Twin Otter which flies to the Isle of Barra from there. However, what was actually waiting was a fleet of immaculate Land Rover Defenders, and we headed North to our first stop.
At Duck Bay on the shores of Loch Lomond, we spotted a group of hardy wild swimmers but no gin, so after a few photos were were back on the road. Next up was the Ardlui Hotel at the head of the loch. During a walk along the shore where the bracken is starting to embrace its autumn colours, I scored a few handfuls of late brambles but still no gin.
Finally we arrived at Portnellan Estate in the Scottish Highlands, and from there we were on our own to find the spot. A welcoming pack of goodies included a bottle of the new gin (and my, the packaging design is just lush), shortbread, but also rather worryingly a rain poncho. Following the somewhat last minute voicemail I had received that morning to “bring wellies”, I wondered what kind of treasure hunt this would turn into?
No time to taste the gin yet because from our cabins up on the hillside I could see a tiny rowing boat on Loch Dochart below. The next clue was “Follow the track to the left and find the boats.” The path wove through a tunnel of greenery, completely hiding the loch, then suddenly a glimpse of a ruined castle across the water, this must be the place. A few steps further on and we were greeted by Cameron, the estate owner, and his dogs, who completely stole the show, swimming enthusiastically alongside as we rowed across. I probably should’ve brought the poncho as protection for when they enthusiastically shook themselves dry.
We had reached the island, and after a muddy scramble, the ruins of Loch Dochart Castle, a 16th century stronghold of the Campbells of Glenorchy, where we found LoneWolf’s mixologists and somewhat surprisingly Brew Dog Distilling’s MD, David Gates, and Steven Kersley, their head distiller. The press release was no exaggeration, this really must be the most remote pop-up in Scotland. What the PR speak couldn’t convey was the enthusiasm and skill of the team behind this drink and all their work that goes into developing and perfecting their spirits. I love that what may have started out as an idea for a mad publicity stunt, turned into a full-on celebration of everything their team believes in.
This must’ve been the best gin and tonic I’d ever had, in such a surreal and special setting. The gin itself is unashamedly heavy on the juniper along with fresh lemon and pine notes. The bar was pure magic, hidden within the walls of the castle, overgrown and open to the early evening sky, it was one of the most enchanting places I’d been. It had to be constructed in a way that respected the ancient monument and could be dismantled afterwards without leaving a trace, plus every element had been rowed across in a pair of small boats, running aground several times in the process. We weren’t the first visitors. Some enterprising gin fans had already managed to solve the clues to the secret location on @LoneWolfGin’s instagram feed, driving through the night from Liverpool to arrive as the crew were still eating breakfast to claim their prize of a year’s supply of LoneWolf gin!
We also tasted their cloudy lemon gin. This began as a single batch of an experimental drink for a staff Christmas party, but was too good not to share. It is made like a limoncello, hand-peeled Sicilian lemon, macerated in Lone Wolf Gin. Unlike limoncello though (which to me tastes of sweetened washing up liquid), this was utterly delicious, both cold on its own, or in a G&T.
As the sun set, Cameron rowed us back to shore, just in time to get ready for dinner. Loch Fyne langoustines, local venison and chanterelles foraged from the woods by chef @nugellalawson all paired with more LoneWolf Gin cocktails of course.
After dinner segued into an impromptu spirits tasting as the team enthusiastically opened bottle after bottle of their experiments. Zealot’s Heart gin, tingly with Szechuan pepper, a spiced rum and long chat about their plans for the future whisky production. Somehow after all that I managed to get this shot of the night sky on the walk back to my cosy cabin, and was up in time to rush up the hill (still in pyjamas mind) to catch the misty sunrise next morning.
The castle has now returned to it’s wild empty state, but you can of course find the Wolf in your favourite bar or shop. Cheers to the team at LoneWolf for making this crazy adventure happen.
