Latest news with #HarrisDistillery
Scotsman
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Isle of Harris Distillery unveils ‘stunning' pink ceilidh bottle inspired by island flora - price and how to buy
The Isle of Harris Distillery has unveiled a limited release of handcrafted ceramic Cèilidh Bottles, presenting the distillery's celebrated gin in a stunning vessel glazed in a vibrant 'Sea Thrift Pink' hue. Launching at 10am on 16 July to coincide with the first day of HebCelt Festival, just 1,500 handcrafted bottles will be available online in the UK, with a limited number also available within the Distillery's Tarbert shop and the HebCelt festival shop on 16 and 17 July. The newest pink shade represents the third edition within the annual Cèilidh Bottle series, building on a palette that captures the essence of the island's coastal environment and its rich natural landscape. The soft pink glaze takes its cue from the delicate sea thrift which pop up on the shoreline rocks of Harris each summer with abundant 'pom-pom' shaped petals and a sweet nectar which is much-loved by the local bumble bees. Each ceramic bottle has been hand-thrown by potter Rupert Blamire, in a process that spans months and requires meticulous care, allowing for small variances between each bottle that make each a one-of-a-kind piece of art. The design evokes the signature maritime swirls of the original glass bottle in a medium that can be displayed, refilled or reused for years to come. The recommended serve for this release is a Grapefruit Gimlet – a fresh, citrus-forward cocktail that complements the Isle of Harris Gin's signature maritime notes and serves as a natural match for the bottle's Sea Thrift Pink glaze. Simon Erlanger, managing director of Isle of Harris Distillery, said: 'We're proud to continue our Cèilidh Bottle tradition with a colour that can be found across our coastlines this time of year. 'Sea thrift is a tough little plant with a striking pink bloom, known for its ability to survive harsh conditions and burst back to life each summer – a beautiful representation of life on this island for those who proudly call Harris home.' The pink Cèilidh Bottle will be debuted at this year's HebCelt Festival held annually in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, attracting a global audience as the largest celebration of Celtic music and culture in the Outer Hebrides. Following a successful partnership in 2024, the Isle of Harris Distillery will return to the festival with the Isle of Harris Gin Cèilidh Tent, featuring a curated line-up of talented contemporary trad musicians from across Scotland, cèilidh dancing, and a selection of premium 'Cèilidh Cocktails', as well as the distillery's acclaimed Hearach single malt. At a half-standard 350ml in size, the Harris Cèilidh Bottle is ideal to present and pour, helping to better enjoy an evening among old friends and family. Online orders will arrive in a gorgeous box full of colour, embossing and Harris Cèilidh storytelling. The Sea Thrift Pink Cèilidh Bottle will be available from 10am on Wednesday 16 July at the Harris Distillery website within the UK and at the distillery shop in Tarbert for £53 RRP.
Scotsman
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Isle of Harris Distillery unveils ‘stunning' pink ceilidh bottle inspired by island flora - price and how to buy
The Isle of Harris Distillery has unveiled a limited release of handcrafted ceramic Cèilidh Bottles, presenting the distillery's celebrated gin in a stunning vessel glazed in a vibrant 'Sea Thrift Pink' hue. Launching at 10am on 16 July to coincide with the first day of HebCelt Festival, just 1,500 handcrafted bottles will be available online in the UK, with a limited number also available within the Distillery's Tarbert shop and the HebCelt festival shop on 16 and 17 July. The newest pink shade represents the third edition within the annual Cèilidh Bottle series, building on a palette that captures the essence of the island's coastal environment and its rich natural landscape. The soft pink glaze takes its cue from the delicate sea thrift which pop up on the shoreline rocks of Harris each summer with abundant 'pom-pom' shaped petals and a sweet nectar which is much-loved by the local bumble bees. Each ceramic bottle has been hand-thrown by potter Rupert Blamire, in a process that spans months and requires meticulous care, allowing for small variances between each bottle that make each a one-of-a-kind piece of art. The design evokes the signature maritime swirls of the original glass bottle in a medium that can be displayed, refilled or reused for years to come. The recommended serve for this release is a Grapefruit Gimlet – a fresh, citrus-forward cocktail that complements the Isle of Harris Gin's signature maritime notes and serves as a natural match for the bottle's Sea Thrift Pink glaze. Simon Erlanger, managing director of Isle of Harris Distillery, said: 'We're proud to continue our Cèilidh Bottle tradition with a colour that can be found across our coastlines this time of year. 'Sea thrift is a tough little plant with a striking pink bloom, known for its ability to survive harsh conditions and burst back to life each summer – a beautiful representation of life on this island for those who proudly call Harris home.' The pink Cèilidh Bottle will be debuted at this year's HebCelt Festival held annually in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, attracting a global audience as the largest celebration of Celtic music and culture in the Outer Hebrides. Following a successful partnership in 2024, the Isle of Harris Distillery will return to the festival with the Isle of Harris Gin Cèilidh Tent, featuring a curated line-up of talented contemporary trad musicians from across Scotland, cèilidh dancing, and a selection of premium 'Cèilidh Cocktails', as well as the distillery's acclaimed Hearach single malt. At a half-standard 350ml in size, the Harris Cèilidh Bottle is ideal to present and pour, helping to better enjoy an evening among old friends and family. Online orders will arrive in a gorgeous box full of colour, embossing and Harris Cèilidh storytelling. The Sea Thrift Pink Cèilidh Bottle will be available from 10am on Wednesday 16 July at the Harris Distillery website within the UK and at the distillery shop in Tarbert for £53 RRP.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Distillery layoffs send shudders across remote Scottish island
When Scotland's windswept Isle of Harris welcomed its first commercial distillery a decade ago, it was about more than just whisky. Since 2015 the Harris Distillery has enabled dozens of young locals to stay and work on the sparsely inhabited island off the west coast of Scotland, which has endured years of population decline as islanders move away in search of job opportunities on the mainland. But the announcement of layoffs in recent weeks has sparked fears of a new exodus of more young residents, leaving the island's tight-knit community crestfallen. The distillery stands on the shore of the small Tarbert harbour and has become a source of pride in Harris, producing award-winning Scotch whisky and gin sold around the world. "I've quite often said the world didn't need another whisky, but the island did," said Shona Macleod, who was among the site's first employees when it opened. She said "the whole purpose of the distillery was to create long-term employment and opportunities for people" at a time when Harris's population had fallen by around half in 50 years, as young people left to find work. There are now around 1,800 inhabitants on the island in the Outer Hebrides, known for its sweeping beaches and turquoise waters. - 'Desperately sad' - When AFP visited the distillery, several of its 50 or so employees -- whose average age is 32 -- were overcome with emotion following the announcement of job cuts at the end of April. "It's desperately sad," said the distillery's financial director Ron MacEachran, with tears in his eyes. He is from the nearby Isle of Scalpay, and remembers when there was "a thriving community" in this area decades ago with a prosperous port. "We set out from the very outset to do something very positive for the island," he said. "This was not something that we contemplated," he added. "Having to do it is deeply painful, because we understand the impact it has on the individuals." But he said the whisky industry was facing serious problems, with overproduction, changes in consumer habits and global volatility. "We've deferred the decision for a staff restructuring as long as possible," he said. "But we had to take it in order to allow the business more scope to navigate through what looks to be a continuing challenge." Ten percent tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump -- whose mother Mary Anne MacLeod Trump was born and raised on the neighbouring Isle of Lewis -- were one of several factors creating "uncertainty", he said. The distillery did not say how many workers would be affected by the cuts, but confirmed staff would be offered voluntary redundancies, followed by compulsory redundancies if targets are not met. It is also not clear what the news means for the company or its star whisky "Hearach", whose name refers to people from Harris in Scottish Gaelic, or its gin flavoured with local sugar kelp which is served in trendy London bars. But the uncertainty ushered in by the announcement has come as a blow to young people who stayed on the island after finding work at the distillery. Several said jobs at the site had helped them feel "settled" at home in Harris. Donald MacRae, 27, was planning to leave the island to find work as a sports teacher following the Covid pandemic, before he saw the distillery was recruiting staff. "I was about to move to the mainland," he said. Now, he has bought a house on Harris and his girlfriend works at the distillery too. "I'm settled and happy here," he said. Macleod, 51, worried "young people might have to leave the island again" in search of work. But MacEachran said he wanted to the distillery to pull through and said he remained hopeful about its future. "We have something very precious here," he said. ctx/alm/lcm/jkb/srg
France 24
07-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
Distillery layoffs send shudders across remote Scottish island
Since 2015 the Harris Distillery has enabled dozens of young locals to stay and work on the sparsely inhabited island off the west coast of Scotland, which has endured years of population decline as islanders move away in search of job opportunities on the mainland. But the announcement of layoffs in recent weeks has sparked fears of a new exodus of more young residents, leaving the island's tight-knit community crestfallen. The distillery stands on the shore of the small Tarbert harbour and has become a source of pride in Harris, producing award-winning Scotch whisky and gin sold around the world. "I've quite often said the world didn't need another whisky, but the island did," said Shona Macleod, who was among the site's first employees when it opened. She said "the whole purpose of the distillery was to create long-term employment and opportunities for people" at a time when Harris's population had fallen by around half in 50 years, as young people left to find work. There are now around 1,800 inhabitants on the island in the Outer Hebrides, known for its sweeping beaches and turquoise waters. 'Desperately sad' When AFP visited the distillery, several of its 50 or so employees -- whose average age is 32 -- were overcome with emotion following the announcement of job cuts at the end of April. "It's desperately sad," said the distillery's financial director Ron MacEachran, with tears in his eyes. He is from the nearby Isle of Scalpay, and remembers when there was "a thriving community" in this area decades ago with a prosperous port. "We set out from the very outset to do something very positive for the island," he said. "This was not something that we contemplated," he added. "Having to do it is deeply painful, because we understand the impact it has on the individuals." But he said the whisky industry was facing serious problems, with overproduction, changes in consumer habits and global volatility. "We've deferred the decision for a staff restructuring as long as possible," he said. "But we had to take it in order to allow the business more scope to navigate through what looks to be a continuing challenge." Ten percent tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump -- whose mother Mary Anne MacLeod Trump was born and raised on the neighbouring Isle of Lewis -- were one of several factors creating "uncertainty", he said. The distillery did not say how many workers would be affected by the cuts, but confirmed staff would be offered voluntary redundancies, followed by compulsory redundancies if targets are not met. It is also not clear what the news means for the company or its star whisky "Hearach", whose name refers to people from Harris in Scottish Gaelic, or its gin flavoured with local sugar kelp which is served in trendy London bars. But the uncertainty ushered in by the announcement has come as a blow to young people who stayed on the island after finding work at the distillery. Several said jobs at the site had helped them feel "settled" at home in Harris. Donald MacRae, 27, was planning to leave the island to find work as a sports teacher following the Covid pandemic, before he saw the distillery was recruiting staff. "I was about to move to the mainland," he said. Now, he has bought a house on Harris and his girlfriend works at the distillery too. "I'm settled and happy here," he said. Macleod, 51, worried "young people might have to leave the island again" in search of work. But MacEachran said he wanted to the distillery to pull through and said he remained hopeful about its future. "We have something very precious here," he said. © 2025 AFP
Int'l Business Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Distillery Layoffs Send Shudders Across Remote Scottish Island
When Scotland's windswept Isle of Harris welcomed its first commercial distillery a decade ago, it was about more than just whisky. Since 2015 the Harris Distillery has enabled dozens of young locals to stay and work on the sparsely inhabited island off the west coast of Scotland, which has endured years of population decline as islanders move away in search of job opportunities on the mainland. But the announcement of layoffs in recent weeks has sparked fears of a new exodus of more young residents, leaving the island's tight-knit community crestfallen. The distillery stands on the shore of the small Tarbert harbour and has become a source of pride in Harris, producing award-winning Scotch whisky and gin sold around the world. "I've quite often said the world didn't need another whisky, but the island did," said Shona Macleod, who was among the site's first employees when it opened. She said "the whole purpose of the distillery was to create long-term employment and opportunities for people" at a time when Harris's population had fallen by around half in 50 years, as young people left to find work. There are now around 1,800 inhabitants on the island in the Outer Hebrides, known for its sweeping beaches and turquoise waters. When AFP visited the distillery, several of its 50 or so employees -- whose average age is 32 -- were overcome with emotion following the announcement of job cuts at the end of April. "It's desperately sad," said the distillery's financial director Ron MacEachran, with tears in his eyes. He is from the nearby Isle of Scalpay, and remembers when there was "a thriving community" in this area decades ago with a prosperous port. "We set out from the very outset to do something very positive for the island," he said. "This was not something that we contemplated," he added. "Having to do it is deeply painful, because we understand the impact it has on the individuals." But he said the whisky industry was facing serious problems, with overproduction, changes in consumer habits and global volatility. "We've deferred the decision for a staff restructuring as long as possible," he said. "But we had to take it in order to allow the business more scope to navigate through what looks to be a continuing challenge." Ten percent tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump -- whose mother Mary Anne MacLeod Trump was born and raised on the neighbouring Isle of Lewis -- were one of several factors creating "uncertainty", he said. The distillery did not say how many workers would be affected by the cuts, but confirmed staff would be offered voluntary redundancies, followed by compulsory redundancies if targets are not met. It is also not clear what the news means for the company or its star whisky "Hearach", whose name refers to people from Harris in Scottish Gaelic, or its gin flavoured with local sugar kelp which is served in trendy London bars. But the uncertainty ushered in by the announcement has come as a blow to young people who stayed on the island after finding work at the distillery. Several said jobs at the site had helped them feel "settled" at home in Harris. Donald MacRae, 27, was planning to leave the island to find work as a sports teacher following the Covid pandemic, before he saw the distillery was recruiting staff. "I was about to move to the mainland," he said. Now, he has bought a house on Harris and his girlfriend works at the distillery too. "I'm settled and happy here," he said. Macleod, 51, worried "young people might have to leave the island again" in search of work. But MacEachran said he wanted to the distillery to pull through and said he remained hopeful about its future. "We have something very precious here," he said. The remote Isle of Harris off the coast of Scotland has only 1,800 residents AFP Distiller Donald MacLeod, 27, rolls a barrel of whisky in the warehouse on the island where he has bought a house and hopes to stay AFP Executive Chairman of the Isle of Harris Distillery Ron MacEachran says the restructuring decision is 'desperately sad' and prompted in part by new US tariffs AFP Lewis Mackenzie harvests sugar kelp seaweed off Bayble Beach on the Isle of Lewis, that will be used to make gin sold in trendy London bars hundreds of miles away AFP
