Gin distillery wins Shed of the Year competition

A former henhouse which is home to the Crossbill Gin distillery has been crowned Pub Shed of the Year 2015.

The Highland shed, which cost around £500 to build, is known as Inshriach Distillery, and houses a copper pot still named Crosby.

It was built using primarily recycled materials, including parts of a former railway station.

In addition to the distillery, the shed also houses Inshriach farm shop, a ladies waiting room, and a saloon bar.

Crossbill Gin is the only gin on the market which is made from 100% Scottish juniper berries and local rosehip, grown in the forest surrounding the distillery.

A statement on the Crossbill Gin website read: “The Crossbill Gin distillery is housed in an eclectic and lovingly crafted building which sits deep in the forest at Inshriach, near Aviemore.

“Being cocooned by the forest the enables us to create a gin that is in complete harmony with our surroundings.

“When it’s cold, we’re cold, so Crosby our copper pot still wears a tweed jacket to enhance the distilling process, and when it’s springtime the lambs come to visit.”

A total of 2,520 sheds were entered into the annual Shed of the Year contest, with the top four sheds in each of the eight categories featuring in Channel Four TV show Amazing Spaces Shed of the Year.

The distillery will now go on to compete for the overall title of Shed of the Year 2015 in the grand final.

On the topic of quirky distilleries – last year, a 15-year-old boy opened a gin distillery in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire alongside his three siblings, all of whom are aged under 23.