Gin Bothy is an award-winning gin distillery located in the Scottish Highlands. They produce natural and sugar-free tipples that tingle the tastebuds with their unique and creative flavours. Gin Bothy was selected to participate in the 2024 ‘Everyone Wins’ Oscar Nominee Gift Bag that is given to Hollywood’s A list each year. I asked Owner Kim Cameron about the backstory behind The Bothy and how she feels about taking part in the most prestigious gift bag in the world.
Molly Schofield: Can you please share a bit about Gin Bothy and its origins? I understand that the gin was created by accident – what is the story behind this?
Kim Cameron:10 years ago this year I entered a jar of jam into the World Jampionships, which were held in Scotland. I won a category and converted a small Bothy (rural house in the mountains!) into a batch kitchen called the Jam Bothy. We live in an amazing fruit-producing part of Scotland and grow raspberries, strawberries, and rhubarb and I followed the same seasonal fruit calendar to produce our Jam Bothy range. Now as you will know when making jam there is often surplus fruit juice left over and rather than waste this my mum suggested I add the fruit juice into gin! The long and short of the story is that more people were coming to the Bothy for gin than jam and the Gin Bothy was born! We are now the most award-winning Great Taste producers in Scotland and create a range of fruit liqueurs and full-strength gin, rum, and whisky.
MS: Can you share more details about the inspiration behind your unique flavours?
KC: Scotland’s amazing seasonal calendar is my main gin-spiration! But also the natural botanicals and ingredients that surround us, Scottish heather, milk thistle, and scots pine, our highland water is perfect for distilling and we grow the finest fruit in the UK so Scotland’s larder does my job for me!
MS: I understand that you are taking part in the most prestigious gift bag in the world – the “Everyone Win’s” Oscar Nominee Gift Bag – how does it feel to take part in such a high-profile event?
KC: For a small independent Scottish brand being part of this event is amazing, a bothy is a home in the hills of Scotland so to be part of the Hollywood hills is something we are excited about!
MS: Now that the nominees have been announced, who are you most excited about to taste your gin?
KC: As a team, we can’t pick just one nominee! Bradley Cooper, Jodie Foster, Emma Stone, and who could say no to Robert De Niro or Cillian Murphy?!
MS: How does Gin Bothy capture the essence of the Scottish heritage in its products and brand?
KC: Bothy culture and our Scottish roots embody everything we do, from creating our spirits to singing traditional Scottish Bothy songs to making our jam and butter onsite. we are more than a spirit brand I guess we have a lifestyle range now and a visitor experience that showcases not just what we create but our heritage and tradition too. The Bothy experience in the village of Glamis is beside Glamis castle which celebrated its 650th year last year and we are proud to be able to welcome visitors from all over the world to tell our story.
MS: Do you have any new products in the pipeline?
KC: Yes this March on the 10th, which is the night of the Oscars we launch in Prowein a world spirit show our Gunshot Whisky which is a blended Scottish whisky and a Gunshot whisky liqueur so a really exciting time for us.
MS: Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the luxury market. How does Gin Bothy incorporate sustainable practices in both the production process and sourcing of ingredients?
KC: Our ingredients across the range are sourced from within 30 miles of the Bothy and we produce seasonally (so sometimes run out of our fruits if there has been a low fruit season!). Local farmers support our production, and 17 Scottish stockists fill our shop. Our team of 19 women is all rural and we support the rural economy and schools in our area. Our packaging is all recyclable, and we are a plastic-free company. From refilling your gin bottles to recycling your jam jars we encourage our customers to be more sustainable, it’s just the Bothy way.
MS: For people visiting Scotland, what is your advice? What makes The Bothy Experience a definite stop-off on someone’s visit?
KC: Our Bothy experience is a 4-star Visit Scotland experience located in the beautiful historic village of Glamis in the county of Angus, we are on the grounds of the majestic Glamis castle, at the foothill of the Cairngorm Mountain range, which is a great place to visit both us and the castle! Visitors can experience our “Spirit of the Bothy” tasting and enjoy a Bothy board of nibbles. Depending on where you want to go on your Scottish adventure, we have everything in Angus from beaches, mountains, and castles to 34 golf courses within an hour of us.
Interview by Molly Schofield
