Aaron Yule and Harry Campbell had been friends since school, and both went on to have careers in the hospitality sector, working in bars and restaurants. When the first COVID lockdown happened in March 2020, their careers in Edinburgh’s hospitality sector came to a standstill as hospitality venues across the UK closed their doors, uncertain if they would ever open again.
With an uncertain future, Aaron and Harry knew they couldn’t wait to see what the future looked like, especially as both had bills to pay. To pass the time, the friends decided to hold online gin tastings with friends and family, and when some of the lockdown restrictions eased, Aaron and Harry would regularly meet up to drink gin and discuss their future. The fiends spent several months drinking, exploring and enjoying more and more Scottish Gins until a friend who worked in a gin distillery suggested they start their own Scottish Gin brand.
Aaron and Harry began looking at botanicals, discussing the Scottish Gins they liked, what they didn’t like, and what would inspire the brand and Scottish Gin. Aaron’s grandfather had been a lighthouse keeper at the Rubha nan Gall Lighthouse on the Isle of Mull until the 1960s, when the lighthouse eventually became automated. Aaron’s grandfather had told him stories about the long Scottish summers and wild winter nights manning the lighthouse.
When lockdown restrictions eased, Aaron and Harry visited the Isle of Mull. They walked the one-mile path along the sea cliffs to visit the lighthouse. Along the walk, the friends noted various plants and fauna, including lavender, sea holly, and wild brambles. The trip to the island and seeing where his grandfather’s stories originated provided the inspiration Aaron and Harry were seeking both for the brand and their Scottish Gin recipe. The name Rubha nan Gall translates to ‘Stranger’s Point’ in Scots Gaelic.
Aaron and Harry sought the help of a distillery that could help them develop a recipe using botanicals found on the Isle of Mull. After a visit to Lost Loch Distillery in Aberdeenshire, the friends decided Lost Loch Distillery was the perfect fit. After various test distillations and refinements, Aaron and Harry launched their Stranger’s Stranger’s Point Coastal Gin in October 2022.
Stranger's Point Coastal Gin features seven botanicals including juniper, angelica root, brambles, coriander seeds, sea holly, lavender and slices of orange. On the nose light florals notes. On the palate earthy notes are balanced with florals, oranges and a red berry note. On the medium finish florals and oranges develop into a green herby note.
Key Botanical(s): Brambles, Eryngium Sea Holly, Lavender
Gin Style: Distilled Scotish Gin
Strength: 45% ABV
Goes great with: A wedge of orange, tonic and ice.
Learn more about Stranger's Point Coastal Gin by visiting the links below.
