Shetland Reel
Last updated 16 May 2026
Distilled at Saxa Vord on Unst — the UK's northernmost gin distillery, operating from a former RAF base on Britain's most northerly inhabited island. The flagship Original gin is built on classic London Dry botanicals with locally foraged Shetland apple mint as the signature. Ocean Sent uses Shetland seaweed; Up Helly Aa is a limited-edition heavier botanical mix tied to the annual fire festival.
Shetland Reel was Scotland's first commercial gin made on Shetland, and the Original is a clean, juniper-respecting contemporary style with a discreet apple-mint signature. Worth seeking out if you're collecting island gins or interested in genuinely remote producers.
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Similar gins
Hendrick’s
contemporary · Lowland
The gin that kicked off the contemporary-style boom in the early 2000s. Made at William Grant's Girvan distillery in Ayrshire using two different stills — a Carter-Head and a copper pot — before blending. The unusual dark apothecary bottle was designed to stand out, and twenty years later it still does.
The Botanist
contemporary · Islay
Made at the Bruichladdich whisky distillery on Islay, distilled with 22 hand-foraged Islay botanicals on top of nine classics. Run through the same 'Ugly Betty' Lomond still that's now spent more time making gin than the whisky it was originally built for.
Rock Rose
contemporary · Highland
Distilled at Dunnet Bay in Caithness, just down the road from John o'Groats. Rock Rose uses local botanicals including rhodiola rosea — the wildflower that gives the gin its name and a distinctive earthy character.
Where to stay near Shetland Distillery Company (Saxa Vord)
The map is centred on Shetland Reel's distillery — set your dates on it, or go straight to hotels, B&Bs and self-catering through the providers underneath.
Booking links are affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Plan your distillery visit
Near Shetland Reel
Things to do nearby, from our sister site TripSCOT, which covers the day-out side. Distances are in a straight line from Shetland Reel, not by road.
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