Wemyss opens new Darnley’s Gin distillery in Fife

Wemyss Malts has brought production of its Darnley’s Gin brand back to Scotland with the opening of a new distillery and visitor centre.

Scott Gowans has been appointed gin distiller for Darnley’s

The distillery is based in a renovated farm cottage on the grounds of Wemyss Malts’s Kingsbarns Whisky Distillery, in Kingsbarns, in the East Neuk of Fife.

Wemyss spent one year renovating the site, and has incorporated copper stills from Italy. Scott Gowans has been appointed gin distiller for Darnley’s and will oversee all aspects of production and recipe development.

The company announced a “major refresh” for its gin earlier this year, changing its name from Darnley’s View Gin to Darnley’s Gin, at the same time revealing that production would be moving from London to Scotland.

Wemyss said the changes marked a “significant investment” for the business to support the growth of Darnley’s at home and overseas. The new site will also allow the Darnley’s team to “experiment [with] and craft future additions to the range”.

The Darnley’s Gin range currently consists of an Original variant, Spiced Gin, and Spiced Gin Navy Strength expressions.

“From a business perspective this is a momentous investment for the future of Darnley’s Gin, following on from the recent refresh of our brand and the growth in demand for our high quality gin around the world,” said William Wemyss, owner and managing director of Darnley’s Gin.

“As a Scottish family business, it is also a decision that was an instinctive one for us, bringing the making of our gin home to a part of Scotland where we have such deep roots and a connection to the land and local communities.

“It’s also very exciting for us to be opening the doors of our ‘cottage distillery’ to share some of the behind the scenes magic that goes into making Darnley’s Gin with guests, especially as the number of visitors seeking Scottish food and drink experiences continues to rise.”

Distillery tours will commence on 2 July, offering guests the opportunity to view behind-the-scenes production.