These are the best Scottish gins I've tried (2026 update)

I have been sipping my way through a huge number of Scottish gins this year, and have come to believe that they are among some of the best in the world.

If you're looking to buy an excellent Scottish gin for yourself or as a gift, I think the following 9 gins from Scotland are your best options.

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Now, into the list:

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Lind & Lime

Lind & Lime is a very popular gin produced in Leith, Edinburgh, at The Porth of Leith Distillery.

It has been produced with refreshing notes of citrus with a lovely sweet pink pepper corn spice.

It is a classic London Dry gin, but definitely very citrus forward.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that the design of the bottle is probably my favourite aspect of the Lind & Lime gin - it's majestic and if I was gifting a bottle of this gin to someone, it would feel like a very special gift.

In terms of awards, the Lind & Lime gin picked up a Silver Medal at the World Gin awards in 2023, which is pretty impressive.

I loved this gin straight, but also with a simple Indian tonic. You can currently buy Lind & Lime gin from Sainsbury's, Amazon, and John Lewis online.

Pickerings 1947

Pickerings are the oldest distillery in Edinburgh, but that is still less than 20 years old. Based in Edinburgh's historic Summerhall, Pickerings produce gin for a number of brands across Scotland and beyond.

Their recipe for their classic gin was written down in Bombay in 1947. A delicious, spicy gin with a really interesting sweetness.

This is one of our favourite gins from Scotland, but one that may divide opinions as it's got quite a spicy kick to it.

The team at Pickering's are no strangers to awards either - their gin picked up the prestigious Country Winner award at the 2020 edition of the World Gin Awards, marking the gin as the best in Scotland in 2020 (good timing for lockdown I imagine!)

Despite how good this gin is, it was actually one of the more affordable options that I tried at just £34 per 70cl bottle.

You can buy Pickering's gin online at Amazon and ScottishGin.com

Height of Arrows

The Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh is perhaps best-known as a whisky distillery, but the team there also produces a range of fantastic gins, with the original Height of Arrows gin from the distillery being the most famous (and in my opinion, the best).

The gin only has 4 ingredients - alcohol, juniper, salt and beeswax. That's it. The result is surprisingly good, and perfectly suits the idea of an "edinburgh style" gin. Sweet, floral and a soft mouth feel. Very lovely and rounded.

The gin has picked up 2 awards at the World Gin Awards - firstly a Country Winner award in 2023, and secondly a Silver award in 2022. Both very impressive.

If you'd like to buy a bottle of Height of Arrows gin, you can currently find it on Amazon and Sainsbury's.

Precision Gin

Precision Gin is a new comer to the Scottish gin scene but has produced a gin that is genuinely one of the best Scottish gins that we have tried.

The Edinburgh-based gin distillery has produced a classic London dry gin with a lovely aroma of herbaceous, eucalyptus and juniper. The tasting notes are hugely refreshing and outrageously moreish. The earthy dry Juniper backbone is decorated with notes of sweet garden herbs of basil, mint and citrus rinds. The gin is rounded off with a strong earthy note of cardamon.

Check out their gin from their website here: https://www.precision-spirits.co.uk/

Hills & Harbour

This gin is produced by Crafty Distillery and is a multi-award-winning gin recipe. It is for sure one of the best gins Scotland has ever produced.

The botanicals are a beautiful and delicate mix of fir needles, bladderwrack seaweed, and Juniper with hints of forest fir, tropical fruits, spice and a subtle hint of salt.

The first thing is that this gin is extremely smooth. After an initial sharpness of Juniper, the flavours flow into notes of sweet tropical fruit notes with a delicious baseline of deep grassy, forest earthiness. The earthy elements aren't too deep either, which leads me to believe the seaweed has given the base notes a sweetness. It took a fair few sips to really collect all of the elements but I can say the gin is certainly delicate, extremely well thought out and sophisticated.

In terms of awards that this gin has picked up, Hills & Harbour was named the Best Scottish London Dry at the World Gin Awards in 2020, and also won a Bronze Medal at the World Gin Awards 2019.

If you'd like to buy a bottle of Hills & Harbour, you can find it at Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, and Amazon.

Rock Rose

Situated in Thurso, on the route of the world-famous North Coast 500, is the Dunnet Bay Distillery. The Distillery is home to what is considered by many the best Scottish gin: Rock Rose.

Rock Rose is well thought out with local Scottish botanicals, a fine grain alcohol and the heavy weight of tradition.

The gin is full-bodied and strikes first with a mouthful of Juniper, followed by the sharpness of sea buckthorn and a ground spiciness of Cardamon. The finish lingers with dancing notes of sweet lemon and citrus.

The original recipe was first distilled in 2014 and has become one of the most decorated gins from Scotland.

If you'd like to get your hands on a bottle of this great gin, head to Tesco and Sainsbury's.

Brewdog Lone Wolf

We usually like to support smaller, independent gin distilleries, but Brewdog has created something magnificent with this Lone Wolf gin.

Although a global craft beer company, the Brewdog gin is produced in Scotland, with Scottish botanicals and partisanship.

The gin is clean, fresh and delicate with sophistication at every turn. It has been distilled using grain to give it a clear, bright clarity.

The citrusy elements from lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaf are delicate but still bounce off the gin's strong juniper backbone. There are notes of spice from coriander, pink peppercorns, and mace which give an earthy balance to the high notes.

The finish is sweet and floral from Lavender and the Scottish heart of Scots pine needles anchor the juniper notes even further. This is a modern twist on a fantastic Scottish Gin. Read our full review of this gin here, or Check it out on Amazon

Edinburgh Gin

The ‘classic’ gin from Edinburgh Gin is one of the quintessential inclusions for any list detailing the best Scottish gins. The gin is unmistakably a “London Dry” with a Scottish twist. It is undoubtedly one of the best London Dry gins that you’ll ever try.

The spirit has been produced using 14 high-quality botanicals and high-quality grain. As you'll come to expect with a London Dry there are huge notes of aromatic citrus; lemongrass, lime, orange peel and a floral layer of lavender. Black mulberries give the gin a hint of super sweet jamminess and it is brought together by the classic, dry pine and spiced juniper kick. This is a nice balance between a class ic 'Old Tom' and a 'London Dry'.

If you want to buy a bottle of The Classic from Edinburgh Gin, head to Tesco, Waitrose, or Morrisons.

Caorunn

Caorunn is often hailed as one of the best Scottish gins ever produced. And we believe that there is good reason for that.

To begin, the gin is wonderfully smooth, easy drinking and dangerously delicious- there is a ragged edge to the gin which makes it all the more interesting.

The imidate notes from Caorunngin are peppery, and earthy which may be quite ‘spicy’ for smooth gin lovers. The punchline is coming, however, and the spice is followed by a flowing wash of clean, crisp citrusy warmth.

The initial shock of the gin opens your senses to the delicious floral flavours that come in like a blowing wind of blossom.

Caorunn has picked up several awards, including a Bronze medal at the World Gin Awards in 2025. It was interesting that the judges at the awards noted that the gin has "an astringency likely influenced by tea."

If you want to buy a bottle of this gin, head to Waitrose, Tesco, or Sainsbury's.

These are the best Scottish gins I’ve tried and tested (2026 update)