A visit to the most northern distillery in Scotland

We all like to travel to the far flung parts of the planet visiting places that we have heard about or seen on our screens.

But how many of us have ventured to the most northerly part of the British Isles; not that many if the truth be known?

However the islands of Shetland have for the past few years been on our screens with Inspector Perez solving yet another murder.

Like Midsummer, one wonders if there is anyone left alive up there, but on the most northerly island called Unst there is a distillery based at Haroldswick called Saxa Vord.

There are now a staggering 650 or more British gins available but none can claim that they are distilled on the most northerly part of the British Isles.

At Saxa Vord Distillery they follow the traditional style of British gin using juniper, coriander, orris root, citrus peel and cinnamon. But they also add a twist of locally harvested apple mint and bladderwrack seaweed.

There are three main gins with a January special that celebrates the Fire Festival in Lerwick called Up Helly Aa, bottled at Navy Strength.

It might be a long way to go but there’s plenty to do and see on the various islands of Shetland but a visit to Saxa Vord must certainly be on the bucket list, even just to say that one had been to the very top of the British Isles.