Lost Loch Spirits was established in 2017 by friends Peter Dignan and Richard Pierce. Their friendship arose as their children went to the same school, and discussions at the school gate eventually led to socialising with their families. One evening, after a few gin and tonics, the conversation turned to spirits and distilling. Pete mentioned he had dabbled in spirits, crafting a whisky, honey, and bramble liqueur based on a recipe that had been in Pete’s family for four generations. Rich also had a keen interest in spirits and business, both Pete and Rich had backgrounds in the oil and gas industry, so over the next few months, the friends formulated a plan for starting a distillery.
Pete and Rich’s vision for the Lost Loch Spirits Distillery was to establish a craft Scottish distillery that respects traditional distillation methods while balancing innovation and creativity. They knew they wanted to craft unique spirits with personality, capturing the local area’s history and folklore and, where possible, some of their family history and stories.
Pete and Rich acquired a small industrial unit in a business park on the outskirts of their home town of Aboyne, nestled in the scenic Royal Deeside region of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The business park and the Lost Loch Distillery sit on the former eastern shore of Loch Auchlossan, a loch drained in the mid-20th century for agricultural use. The name “Lost Loch” pays homage to this vanished body of water, reflecting the distillery’s connection to the landscape and local history.
The distillery was originally home to several traditional Portuguese alembic pot stills used for recipe development alongside a 500 litre iStill. Pete and Richard eventually added a 2,000 litre iStill to help with the growing demand and provide flexibility for spirits production, including whisky. The distillery also utilises renewable energy sources, including solar panels, a biomass boiler, and a wind turbine, to power its operations.
The distillery uses spring water from the Pannanich Wells near Ballater in the Cairngorms National Park. This ancient spring is renowned for its purity and unique natural chemistry as it slowly passes through layers of granite from deep underground. Famous visitors drawn by the spring’s natural wonders included Queen Victoria, who first visited the springs around 1856 and wrote about them in her Highland Journals, Lord Byron, and Sir Walter Scott.
The first liquid release from Lost Loch Spirits was Pete’s family recipe for the whisky, honey, and bramble liqueur. It was named ‘Haroosh’, taken from the Scot’s word for a disorderly, high-spirited gathering of friends and family, released in early 2017.
Unlike many of the new wave of Scottish craft distilleries, the next release wasn’t a Scottish Gin but the first Scottish Absinthe, “Murmichan”, released in October 2017. The name “Murmichan” derives from Scots folklore, referring to a wicked fairy. Murmichan featured classic botanicals such as grande wormwood, Roman wormwood, and green aniseed, complemented by locally sourced ingredients like bramble leaves, lemon thyme, heather, and willow herb honey.
In January 2018, Lost Loch Spirits released its signature eeNoo London Dry Scottish Gin, inspired by the story of Eenoolooapik, known as Eenoo, an Inuit explorer who had long desired to visit Scotland. Eenoolooapik joined the crew of the whaling ship Neptune at Baffin Island in Canada and set sail for Scotland, eventually visiting Aberdeen in 1839. He learned Western Ways while sharing his crafts, including his Qajaq (canoe) skills on the River Dee and his knowledge of herbs, spices, and botanicals. The name eeNoo is a nod to Eenoolooapik and the local Aberdeenshire dialect for ‘just now’, suggesting it’s always the right time for a gin.
Since the launch of eeNoo, Pete and Rich have released a variety of Scottish spirits and drinks under the Lost Loch Spirits brand, including their singular series, a series of special spirit creations, including a whisky cask-aged absinthe. Lost Loch Spirits have also been integral to the growth and support of other Scottish Gin and spirits brands through their distillery and contract distillation services, helping new business owners craft award-winning spirits and guiding them through the complex world of starting and launching a spirits brand.
Pete and Richard also knew they had a chance to welcome visitors to the distillery, a unique opportunity to educate and inspire, so in July 2019, they opened the Lost Loch Spirits School. Visitors can learn about the distillation process and history of Lost Loch Spirits before selecting from a range of botanicals that they can use to craft their bespoke gin or absinthe using one of the school’s traditional Portuguese alembic pot stills.
What started as an idea over a few gin and tonics has led to a creative partnership, creating a distillery and local jobs. Pete and Rich were never afraid to push the boundaries of what a Scottish craft distillery can produce. Although the distillery has grown substantially since the early days, Pete and Rich continue to carve out their path in the world of Scottish spirits and distilling, which is motivated by creating exciting and creative Scottish spirits.
eeNoo Scottish Gin is the signature London Dry Scottish Gin from Lost Loch Spirits and features eleven botanicals. Classic gin botanicals include angelica root, coriander seeds, juniper berries, liquorice root, lemon and orange peels, and a selection of locally foraged or sourced botanicals. Locally sourced and foraged botanicals include brambles, heather flowers, rosehips, and honey from Royal Deeside, which features clover pollen, heather, and willow herb. The distillation process also uses fresh spring water from the Pannanich Wells in the Cairngorms National Park.
On the nose, light and fresh red berry fruit with hints of citrus and florals. On the palate, juniper mingles with raspberries with a balance of zesty citrus with underlying hints of honey, aromatic florals and some earthy spice. The finish develops into notes of piney juniper, citrus and fruity brambles before leaving a slightly spicy black, peppery, warming note.
The inspiration for eeNoo Scottish Gin is the story of Inuit explorer Eenoolooapik, known as Eenoo, who visited Aberdeen in 1839 after travelling on a whaling vessel from Baffin Island in Canada. eeNoo is also the word in the local Aberdeenshire dialect for 'just now', suggesting it's always the right time for a gin.
Key Botanical(s): Brambles, Raspberries, Scottish Honey (Royal Deeside)
Gin Style: London Dry Scottish Gin
Strength: 43% ABV
Goes great with: A few fresh raspberries, tonic and ice.
The first gin the Singular Series of spirits from Lost Loch, Rucolino Gin. This limited edition, single batch gin uses signature eeNoo Scottish Gin, which is then infused with rocket, clove, orange and lemon peel. The flavour profile is inspired by the Italian Rucolino, a traditional Italian herbal liqueur. Herbaceous notes with bold bursts of citrus as a result of the carefully blended flavours, creating a unique favour profile bottled at 58.3% ABV.
Key Botanical(s): Rocket, Clove, Citrus Peel
Gin Style: Distilled
Strength: 58.3% vol
Goes great with: Neat over ice or a wedge of orange, tonic and ice.
Located on Royal Deeside in Aberdeenshire, Lost Loch Spirits Distillery and Spirits School overlooks a vast expanse of green hills, forests, agricultural land and the lost loch of Loch Auchlossan.
Sitting on what would have once been the Eastern Shore of the loch, the outline of which shows after a heavy downpour, the distillery houses several traditional copper stills and two modern iStills, a 2,000 and 500 litre model.
The distillery offers a range of tours and experiences, local community events held throughout the year, and a Scottish Spirits school, where visitors can try their hand at distilling.
Please note distillery experiences may have changed since this information was published. Please check the booking link or brand website for the latest distillery experiences.
Tour: Yes
Gin School: Yes
Shop: Yes
Booking: Learn more about Lost Loch Spirits Distillery experiences here
Learn more about Lost Loch Spirits by visiting the links below.
