Dunnet Bay Distillery

Premium Tour

Our Premium Tour offers a detailed insight into the history of Dunnet Bay Distillery.

You will start your tour in our Tasting Room sat on a comfortable couch beside a wood-burning stove, where you will enjoy a welcome drink of our Original Edition Rock Rose Gin or a soft-drink for drivers. Here you will listen to stories about the history of the distillery and the folklore associated with the locally and sustainably sourced botanicals used to make our multi-award-winning spirits. You will then visit our Still House to learn about our fabulously shiny stills, Elizabeth and Margaret, how our spirits are made, how our iconic bottles are hand-filled, individually wax-sealed, batch numbered and hand-signed before they leave the distillery. You will also get to view the research and development area used by Dunnet Bay Distillery to create new products. After visiting the Still House, you will return to our Tasting Room where you will participate in an interactive tutored tasting of three of the distillery’s award-winning spirits, which change depending on the season. At the end of your Premium Distillery Tour, you will receive a goody bag to take away and enjoy later.

Join Us

Premium Tours run at 2pm.

£18.00

+ 100  LOYALTY POINTS

Tour lasts 1 hour 30 minutes

Important Visitor Experience Information

Premium Tour

Reviews

  1. Really enjoyed the visit, pleasant welcoming staff who were very helpful. Gins are very good and an excellent product.
    Great to see a family business do so well. I can certainly recommend the gin and the tour.
    The guide was very informative and told us everything we wanted to know.

    Raymond MacMillan

  2. Was a wonderfully spent hour! We have managed to get both their gin and vodka.
    Nice people! Great Gin and great Vodka!

    Ray

  3. Excellent tour, very informative, friendly and approachable tour guide.
    Added extra of the goodie bag to take away which we were not expecting. Highly recommend

    Peter Tiplady

  4. Thank you for the feedback Victoria and I am glad to hear you enjoyed the tour but I am very sorry to hear you were disappointed with the neat tasters. Many people like to try the gin neat to begin with and then add mixer, which is why we offer it first neat and then to try with tonic. I am afraid we don’t offer driver packs as we are trying to reduce single use plastic, however we do have a note on our booking page to advise drivers to bring along containers and we would happily pop the tasters into those for you. I hope you were both able to enjoy the Rock Rose Gin & Tonic can in your goody bag later in the evening 🙂 Kindest regards, Claire

    Claire Murray

  5. We visited for a distillery tour which we enjoyed. The room where you start and end the tour is beautiful, and so relaxing. The tour was informative and interesting.

    I feel that the gin tasting was the bit that let the tour down for two main reasons
    1) the gin we tasted was neat, maybe I am naive I know whisky tours you taste the whiskey neat but I thought that was because generally whisky is drank neat. I’d never had neat gin before and hope I never have to drink it that way again. It was a shame, I’m sure the gins were lovely but for me drinking them neat meant I couldn’t taste anything other than alcohol. The gin was served in small ceramic shot glasses which were very pretty but meant there was no room to add tonic. If the glasses were bigger it would have been possible to add more tonic and been able to taste the gin and enjoy it.

    2) my partner was driving so obviously couldn’t drink the gin but unlike the whisky tour we did the driver wasn’t given anything to take away to try later. The shots were given to him, he said he was driving so couldn’t try them but that didn’t seem to make any difference. I couldn’t drink any more nest gin so we gave it to another lady at the tasting. At other tours we’ve been to the drivers have always been given some tasters to take away but not here.

    My advice would be unless you want to drink neat or near neat gin then maybe this isn’t the tour for you.

    Vic

  6. Fabulous tour, great to sample the gins and hear how the company was founded. Well worth a visit, good value too. My husband even bought a bottle and he has always said he hated Gin! You have a new fan there!

    Kirsty moss

  7. Very nice and sympathic small distillery. The tour was absolutely interesting and the tasting was great!

    Stefanie

  8. The visit was perfect and very interesting. We have also appreciated the degustation. Thanks a lot !

    Amandine Brootcorne

  9. Really enjoyed the tour, loads of info about how the distilling process works, were lot really fans of gin but got the science behind it really interesting! Thank you.

    Miriam

  10. Booked a tour during our NC500 trip as gin is our favourite triple!
    The tour was very interesting and obvious that the guy who did the tour loves his job.
    Thoroughly enjoyed the gin (which I have had before) tried some new ones and even a coffee vodka.
    Obviously purchased a couple of bottles on our way out to take back to Buxton to enjoy ☺️

    Sara & Steve Golden

  11. I brought my elderley Father to visit the Distilliery during our NC500 trip. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Starting out with some background info over a gin and tonic in front of the woodburner, we then moved on to look at the distilling process which was fascinating. Everything here seems to be done with the utmost care, from sourcing the herbs and botanics to flavour the gin (and the rum now) to where the beautiful bottles come from. We then moved on to a tasting of some of the different gins and the rum.
    The group was small, so this made it easier for my Father who is hard of hearing, and he absolutely loved it.
    I already knew Rock Rose Gin from a gin tasting I joined via Zoom during lockdown, so for me it was a real treat to see where this lovely gin is actually distilled.

    Jo Ronald

  12. What a great tour! We arrived to join 4 others in the beautiful converted cowshed to a warm welcome (stunning fire) and a large g n t:) we were told all about the dream behind the distillery and then given a tour. It was very informative, interesting and enthusiastic. We then went back for tasting which was great and cleverly done. It’s not just gin – vodka and rum too. This tour isn’t just about alcohol- it’s about realizing a dream and instilling that passion and knowledge into it.
    If you are staying at the campsite I would suggest you opt for the 2 pm tour to fully benefit of the hospitality!

    Alison Sharp

  13. We were a party of six, two local and two visitors to the area, and we booked on the 11am tour.

    From the start the welcome was warm and we were well looked after. The tasting room was warm and beautifully restored from its original stone walls, while retaining some original features that created a cosy ambiance.

    Our tour guide Andy presented us with elegant glasses of the Navy strength Rock Rose, as well as lemonade for the selfless drivers, while he told the start of Dunnet Distillers. He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and extremely relaxed with us, putting up with the increasing laughter as the tasting went on and we got mixed up with what we should be doing! The history of the Distillery is fascinating, as is their potential future. The tour itself then began and opened or eyes to the scale of the business and its readiness to move forward continually with new ideas.

    The whole experience was so enjoyable and we left with good memories and our own small bottles for the drivers to taste later in the day. (See the notes in the welcome email, we were prepared and took our own to uphold the eco ethos of the company.)

    Thank you for a happy morning out!

    Carole Henderson

  14. Wonderful tour that started off perfectly with a G&T in front of the woodburner in a gorgeous room set out for the tasting. The distillery tour was really interesting, and the tasting afterwards was great fun, the goody bags being a lovely touch. We even bought two of their beautiful glasses! -along with a fair amount of gin!

    Suzanne Toms

  15. Our visit was a treat on our birthday, and we had a brilliant tour. Our guide was excellent, and the distillery absolutely brimming with Caithness charm. The G&T on arrival and takeaway goodie bags were a very nice touch. The tasting room is right bonnie, and the distillery and gardens have a lovely warm character. In fact by the time we left my sister and I both fancied a job at Rock Rose!

    Kirsty Rosie

  16. A really excellent and enjoyable tour. It was very informative and led by an interesting tour guide. Enjoyed tasting the gins especially the smoky orange flavour. Navy strength at 1100 in the morning is quite an interesting challenge ! The vodka was also great and super tasty.

    This was a great stop for us on the NC500 on a wet and windy morning.

    Ian Timms

  17. My son and I decided at the last minute to do the tour after a bike run in the area and so glad we did. There was 4 of us on the tour and Andy ,the host,was very knowledgeable and let us ask any questions .I have always liked Rock Rose Gin and I am now telling everyone to buy this craft gin which is made by hand by clever passionate people. look forward to trying the whisky …cannae wait!!!
    p.s.the Rock Rose Gin Marmalade is a must buy

    Carol Robison

  18. Amazing tour. We didn’t just learn a lot but also had a lovely little group and so much fun that the 1h tour took us 2.5h before leaving the distillery again.
    Can only recommend the distillery and the shop with lots of great gifts and products.
    Next time we’ll come back for the Whisky distillery tour, when it’s open!

    Ronja

  19. An exceptionally well informed tour, brilliant from start to finish, well done.

    Alison Bain

  20. Fantastic experience, highly recommend. Great Gin education and of course, tasting. Great value for money too.

    Scott Mcnab

  21. Fab tour. Thanks to Andy our guide for explaining the process and making it very interesting. Lovely tasting room. Great shop for gifts. Highly recommend for locals and visitors.

    Rhona

  22. Great tour we all enjoyed our time there was good to see where it all happens and the history behind it! Fab tasting session as well…

    Trish Mackay

  23. Well, we haven’t done the tour yet, but I wanted to review how wonderful the customer service is – I had troubles with the internet and they responded immediately when I emailed for help. We’re coming over from Australia and it can be daunting for us to organise everything in advance so our trip goes smoothly. I think the distillery tour at Dunnet Bay Distillers will be the smoothest part of all!

    Colleen Watt

  24. A fantastic tour with a pleasant and knowledgable tour guide. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Great to see where it all happens and the stories behind it all. The place is beautifully decorated and a lovely setting to enjoy some samples. The goodie bag at the end is a lovely gesture. Highly recommend a visit.

    Lorna

  25. Great tour by a knowledgeable and passionate guide. Lovely small distillery with a ‘family’ atmosphere. Loved the samples and the goodie bag! Well worth the visit.

    Kevin Deeming

  26. Absolutely fantastic tour from beginning to end. Knowledgable guide who was happy to answer questions. Great insight into what goes into making the gin so great. Loved the sampling at the end and the wee goodie bag was enjoyed immensely!

    Alec

  27. Fantastic tour by a very passionate guide who was happy to answer our many questions. Even got to chat to the local Robert Dick expert!

    The goodie bag at the end was a nice surprise – highly recommend.

    Mike and Sophie

  28. 6 school friends spent a lovely weekend in the beautiful Dunnet beach area, within ideal walking distance from the distillery! With opportunity to taste different flavours and learn about the process was perfect, even for the non Gin drinkers of the group. Topped off with a lovely goody bag to leave with. Really great place to visit.

    Lorna T

  29. I discovered this gin whilst up travelling in the far north of Scotland. I bought a bottle to bring home with me and then liked it so much I’ve just ordered another one! I am not too keen on very citruss-y gin or gins that are very heavy on the juniper, but this is perfect. It makes a great gin and tonic and is smooth enough for a martini too. I will be taking this home for my family over Christmas!

    Laura

  30. Such a great tour! It’s really interesting hearing about all the plants and the history of the distillery, and seeing each step in the process. We just loved the smell of the herbs in the botanical basket! Such a pretty tasting area and shop, and the tasters were delicious, the Holy Grass was completely unexpected and my new fav! Would 100% recommend a tour, for yourself or as a gift. Big thanks to Andy for such a fab time at Dunnet

    Camilla

  31. We visits the distillery as part of our NC500 trip and it was FANTASTIC. The staff were incredibly welcoming, and you start the tour with a lovely gin and tonic welcome. The tour was both informative and engaging, really love the small family run aspect of the distillery and hearing how it has grown over time. Great gin tasting – gins came on their own but could have tonic added. It was hard to pick which one to buy in the shop as they were all great!! Beautiful barn where the tasting takes place. Absolutely brilliant tour, and great value for money.

    Laura Yates

  32. Fantastic venue and really friendly staff. The tour was so interesting and the Gin tasting pitched perfectly. Only problem was deciding which Gin to buy as they are all so nice! Ended up buying a second bottle in a local shop Will definitely recommend to friends and family !

    Dawn Read

  33. Tour guide was great, the tastings were wonderful, best distillery tour I’ve had!

    Kevin

  34. We really enjoyed the Gin tour, the gin on admission tasted lovely. The tour guide was knowledgeable and did not rush the tour. Would highly recommend this gin distillery tour.

    Kate Tindall

  35. Great little tour, nice to have a drink straight off! Very knowledgeable guide, and the tasting was interesting as it introduced us to the vodka too.

    Kim

  36. Lovely welcome from the moment we arrived. Loved hearing about how it all started right through to now. The tour is excellent and seeing the process up close is great. The tasting at the end is what a lot look forward to. As someone new to gin, we found it insightful and enjoyable. Very highly recommended for anyone.

    Tanya Hughes

  37. Thank you for our lovely tour of Rock Rose gin distilling. We had a lovely time and really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. The welcome drink was beautifully presented and tasted lovely. I think it’s my new favourite gin ! I would recommend this tour to anyone who likes gin. Thanks again especially to our your guide.

    Patricia

  38. Thoroughly enjoyable relaxed tour and tasting behind the scenes at Rock Rose. I would thoroughly recommend it!

    Andrew Gordon

  39. Always a pleasure to visit Rock Rose Gin Distillery. Always something new in the super shop. An informative and enjoyable tour, with lots of tasters and hints and tips on getting the most from their very special gins (and vodka – don’t forget the Holy Grass).
    I thoroughly recommend a visit to Dunnet Bay – a super stop off. Thank you.

    Heather Christian

  40. Such a cute and lovely distillery! The people were so kind and we were especially impressed with their refill pouches that you can easily mail back to them!! such a great idea. I’ll always be on the lookout for Rock Rose gin at the store now

    Paige

  41. Relaxed and friendly tour and proof that great things really do come in small packages. Fantastic guide and great gin (and vodka) What’s not to like! Definitely one for adults though, our youngest was quite enthused about Mr McKintosh but we didn’t see or hear anything about him (although he was spotted on a display)

    Anne Barnabas

  42. Delighted to have won a tour for 4 of Dunnet Bay Distillery in a raffle
    My 3 friends and I spent a most enjoyable morning doing the tour
    Our tour guide ,was knowledgeable and friendly
    This is the best tour I have done off distilleries
    Beautiful setting for a meet & greet in what was a cow shed and lovely big table fo enjoy our samples after the tour
    Staff are all friendly Would highly recommend a visit to Dunnet Bay distillery

    Joan Keith

  43. Great tour and fantastic tasting room/ cowshed! Relaxed and informative. We have been to a few and this is well up there. Love the local connections. Plus of course excellent gin!

    Sarah Hewitt

  44. Probably the best tour we have every done can’t mind the girl name she only started there in March.
    She was a great for showing the tour and really funny and very knowledgeably.
    Will defo go back

    Derek

  45. Most excellent and informative and the gins not too bad either ! , bought a few wee drams to take back home, that’s if it lasts that long.

    Gillian Cornwell

  46. Everyone very nice. good explanation on how they work. great tasting. before I did not like Gin(+Tonic). Now I do – at least the RockRose

    Moritz Furchtmann

  47. Hands down one of the best distillerys we’ve ever visited!
    Such a beautiful space, lovely staff and officially my new favorite gin.

    Thank you so much for the informative and enjoyable experience!

    Gabby

  48. Recommended by family, interesting tour. Relaxed and friendly.
    For customer who is driving ? consider an option to take away some tasters.
    Bought some gins and the vodka!

    Julie and Rob

  49. The tour was great, we really enjoyed it and have recommended it to friends and family already! The tour guide and shop staff were friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed exploring the garden afterwards and learning about all the locally grown ingredients. The gin is very tasty, my new favourite! I struggled to pick which bottles to buy, as they are all delicious!

    Rachel

  50. Thoroughly enjoyed our tour yesterday, definitely found a new favourite tipple, and it’s refillable and can be ordered on line. Would recommend a visit to all gin lovers. Everyone made us feel so welcome and our tour group were a great bunch.

    Amanda and Kevin Smith

  51. We had a fantastic afternoon we ended up staying a good couple of hours. The team were really knowledgable and friendly. We stayed in the motorhome site nearby so our whole group took part in the tastings. We also bought quite a few bottles and glasses! Bottoms up!

    Lisa Matthew

  52. Great tour. Really knowledgeable and engaging guide. And the gin wasn’t bad either!

    Ian

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