Stirling Distillery, situated in the shadow of Stirling Castle, are celebrating after winning ‘Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Business of the Year’ at the Stirling Business Excellence Awards. Organised by the Scotsman, in association with STEP, the awards were held at the Stirling Court Hotel on Thursday 22nd February. These inaugural awards recognise and celebrate the businesses that play a vital role in the economic success of the city and region.
Award-winning distillery is a small family-run business creating hand crafted spirits in the historic ‘Old Smiddy’, Stirling’s first legal distillery on the castle rock. Distilled, bottled and labelled in the history building, they have been offering daily gin and whisky tastings, distillery tours and gin school since 2019. Known for their award-winning London dry gin made with foraged Stirlingshire nettles, Stirling Distillery expanded into whisky in 2023. Their range of products celebrate local history and folklore, such as their Battle Strength gin which commemorates the Battle of Stirling Bridge and features custom artwork from Scottish artist Ritchie Collins.
Voted Visitor Attraction of the Year at the Stirling Business Awards in 2023 and awarded a coveted 2023 Travellers’ Choice Award for the third year in a row from online travel website TripAdvisor, Stirling Distillery is listed as the number one thing to do in Stirling on their website. Just a short walk down from the castle, they have received over 900 five-star reviews of their gin and whisky experiences and are now recognised as a top tourist destination in the city. With over 24,000 visitors to the Old Smiddy during 2023, the team have welcomed guests from across the world.
As well as this visitor experience recognition, the distillery has also received a range of awards for their gins including a silver medal at the 2023 Scottish Gin Awards, a coveted Great Taste star, plus a range of London Spirits Awards. In 2023, the team rebranded their gin bottle range, made history by distilling the first whisky in Stirling for 171 years and launched their whisky cask club.
Distillery co-founder June McCann spoke of her delight at winning:
“We are proud to be part of this great city and be one of the many amazing businesses thriving in it. Make sure you add our wee distillery to your itinerary if you’re ever headed our way. As the gateway to the highlands and close to both Edinburgh and Glasgow, we really are the perfect location in Scotland”.
Visit https://stirlingdistillery.com/ for more information.
About Stirling Distillery
Stirling Distillery, established in 2015, is steeped in Scottish history. Located in the shadow of Stirling Castle, central Scotland, it is the city’s first legal distillery. Offering a range of gins and whiskies all with historic relevance, the distillery is open daily for gin experiences, tastings and a weekly gin school.
