A vision to bring a unique craft distillery to the heart of Newton Stewart took root in 2015, when local native Graeme Taylor set out to create quality Scottish spirits inspired by Galloway’s wild landscape and native botanicals. In late 2016, with construction completed—thanks in part to the help of Graeme’s father, Billy—Graeme invited childhood friend and hospitality veteran Craig Rankin to join him in shaping the distillery and developing its signature Hills & Harbour Gin. This gin debuted in May 2017. The distillery distinguished itself in Scottish Gin, being among the few that craft their own base alcohol in-house through a ‘grain-to-glass’ process, while most buy neutral grain spirit externally. Over the next few years, the distillery expanded its offerings, prepared for whisky production, and—with its elevated site, panoramic town views, and large windows framing the region’s scenery—opened to visitors for distillery experiences, offering locally made gifts and produce from Galloway.
In 2020, another proud Galloway native, actor, author, and entrepreneur Sam Heughan, launched the Sassenach Spirits brand alongside friend and collaborator Alex Norouzi, an American entrepreneur. Sam is known for his breakout role as Jamie Fraser in the hit TV show ‘Outlander’. He also has roles in several Hollywood blockbusters and acclaimed TV series. Sassenach Spirits takes its name from a phrase used throughout the original Outlander books and TV adaptation. In the show, the term is used as one of endearment for Jamie’s main love interest, Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser, played by Irish actress Caitríona Balfe, to describe an English person. More broadly, it can mean a non-Highlander or outsider. Sam was born in the village of Balmaclellan, in rural Galloway, where he spent his childhood exploring forests, climbing hills, swimming in local lochs, and nights watching the constellations. These early experiences had a profound impact on Sam and his connection to the Galloway landscape.
Similar to Graham’s original ambitions and inspiration for establishing a distillery that crafts quality Scottish spirits, paying homage to the region, Sam and Alex also wanted Sassenach Spirits to represent their shared love of premium craft spirits. Sassenach Spirits also provided Sam with a unique way to share the place, the people, and the land that shaped him – Galloway. With the successful launch of the Spirit of Home Sassenach Blended whisky and Sassenach and The Sassenach Select, a double wood reposado tequila produced at the Mexican distillery El Tequileño, led by master distiller Antonio Salles, Sam and Alex knew that their Scottish Gin had to be produced in Scotland, ideally in Galloway.
In 2022, Sam and Alex approached Graham and Craig to explore how they could best collaborate on the new Scottish Gin and how the distillery could contribute to that ambition. Craig worked closely with Sam, helping to define a range of botanicals that had a connection to both Sam and the landscape, and developed several recipes before further refining them until the final recipe was perfected. Sassenach Wild Scottish Gin was launched initially in the America in June 2023, before it was eventually launched in a number of other countries, including the UK.
As Graham, Craig, Alex and Sam continued their collaboration, their shared ethos, ambitions, and passion for not only crafting great Scottish spirits and brands, but also a shared love of Galloway, eventually led to the discussion of Sam and Alex taking ownership of the distillery, whilst retaining all that made the original distillery and the spirits produced there special. It would be an evolution to a brand home for Sassenach Spirits alongside the existing spirits, including Hills & Harbour Gin. It was a unique opportunity for two different spirit brands, created by people passionate about Scottish spirits and Galloway, with shared values, to showcase and put Galloway on the global spirits and distilling stage.
The Galloway Distillery officially opened its doors in September 2025, under the ownership of Sam and Alex, with Graham, Craig, and the existing staff continuing in their roles to help support, nurture, and grow the newly named and revamped Galloway Distillery. The changes at the distillery are a reflection of both Alex and Sam’s commitment and investment in the world of Scottish Gin and spirits, and the shared ambition with Graham and Craig’s of showcasing not only the spirits produced at the distillery but also sharing the story of Galloway around the world.
The Sassenach Wild Scottish Gin is a London Dry Scottish Gin from the heart of Galloway, produced at the Galloway Distillery, home to Sassenach Spirits. Sam Heughan, co-founder of Galloway Distillery and Sassenach Spirits, wanted to create a Scottish Gin that reflected the Galloway landscape through the use of several locally foraged botanicals. He also wanted to craft a Scottish Gin personally linked to his time growing up in the area.
Sam worked with Craig Rankin, master distiller at the Galloway Distillery, on the recipe development. Sam picked crab apples, heather flower blossoms, Scots pine resin, Scottish juniper berries, crab apples, bramble leaf, blaeberry, and toasted oats as key botanicals alongside a number of classic gin botanicals, that together could create the aroma and flavour journey Sam wanted the gin to have. Each botanical, with its flavour or aroma, evoked Sam’s memories of adventures on heather-clad hillsides, pretending to be a Celtic king hiding deep in a forest from an unseen enemy, or simply enjoying time with family, tucking into a rhubarb crumble, or helping pick crab apples for making crab apple jam. Each botanical was chosen because it means something special.
On the nose, piney juniper is present without overpowering the other aromas of fresh orchard fruit and hints of citrus and florals. On the palate, resinous juniper is rounded with notes of fruit crumble before zesty citrus notes emerge, balanced with a slightly tart rhubarb note and an overall creamy, textured mouthfeel from the toasted oak, which also adds a subtle hint of minerality and smoke. The finish develops further forest notes of pine and green forest floor, balanced with hints of fresh wild berries with gentle floral undertones before leaving a crisp, fresh apple finish.
Key Botanical(s): Crab Apple, Blaeberry, Toasted Scottish Oats
Gin Style: London Dry Scottish Gin
Strength: 42% ABV
Goes great with: A slice of apple, tonic and ice.
Hills & Harbour Gin is the signature Scottish Gin from Hills & Harbour Spirits (formerly Crafty Distillery). It features original base alcohol crafted by the team at Galloway Distillery using local grain. The distillation features eleven botanicals to stimulate the palate with sour, sweet, bitter, salt and umami.
Botanicals include bay leaf, bladderwrack seaweed, dried mango, green Sichuan peppercorns, noble fir needles, and classic gin botanicals like juniper and coriander. Both the bladderwrack seaweed and noble fir needles are locally foraged.
On the nose, fresh pine and aromatic spices with coastal notes. On the palate, juniper is commanding with rich piney forest notes balanced with tropical fruit, citrus and spices. On the finish, rich spices, tangy citrus sherbet and some coastal flavours.
Hills & Harbour Gin comes in a bespoke glass bottle, introduced in October 2021, that is 30% lighter than the previous bottle. The custom bottle also features an innovative 100% natural cork and wood stopper that doubles as a spirit measurer, a world first in the world of spirits.
Key Botanical(s): Bladderwrack Seaweed, Juniper, Noble Fir Needles
Gin Style: London Dry Scottish Gin
Strength: 40% ABV
Goes great with: A slice of fresh mango, tonic and ice.
Galloway Gin from Crafty Distillery is a yearly limited-edition series of unique and original Scottish gins, with the first in the series released in 2018. This original 2018 release was a world first for Scottish Gin as it featured a base spirit made at Crafty Distillery using locally grown crops and locally foraged Scottish botanicals. Each edition features 100% Scottish foraged botanicals and an original Scottish base alcohol crafted by the team at Crafty Distillery using locally grown grains.
Galloway Gin 2024 Edition features a range of carefully foraged and selected botanicals to create a one-of-a-kind Scottish Gin. Chanterelles, crab apples, Crafty Estate elderberry, Scottish juniper, raspberries spiral wrack and sweet cicely. The result is an original Scottish Gin flavour profile that captures a taste of Galloway's hills, coastlines and hedgerows. On the nose, fresh apples, herbs and florals. On the palate, piney forest notes and stand-out juniper with a delicious savoury note blend with earthy herbaceous notes that transition through a slightly sweet, red berry note. The finish is tart with zingy crab apples that develop into a crisp, clean drying note.
Galloway Gin releases include: 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Key Botanical(s): Chanterelles, Crab Apples, Scottish Juniper
Gin Style: London Dry Scottish Gin
Strength: 40% ABV
Goes great with: A few raspberries, tonic and ice.
Located just on the outskirts of the Scottish market town of Newton Stewart, you’ll find the Galloway Distillery. The distillery is home to Sassenach Spirits and Hills & Harbour Spirits, where Sassenach Wild Scottish Gin and the Scottish spirits range from Hills & Harbour Spirits are distilled and bottled.
The distillery features a range of traditional and state-of-the-art distillation equipment that enables the Galloway Distillery team to craft various spirits, including whisky, vodka, and Scottish Gin. The Galloway Distillery set-up also allows the distillery to produce its own base alcohol for these spirits using a ‘grain-to-glass’ approach.
The Galloway Distillery offers a range of visitor experiences where guests can learn about the distillation process behind their award-winning spirits, sample various options, and enjoy their chosen favourite as a perfect serve drink. Whisky connoisseurs can book the Distillery Managers Tour by appointment for an in-depth exploration of the whisky-making process, including tasting samples yet to be released.
Tour: Yes
Bar: Yes
Shop: Yes
Booking: Learn more about Galloway Distillery experiences here
Learn more about Galloway Distillery by visiting the links below.