The family distillery
Rising from the Atlantic on Scotland’s far western edge lies our home—the Isle of Barra. It’s the same vast ocean our brave ancestors once crossed, and the place that continues to shape who we are.
Though life took us away for a time, the call of home was stronger. Guided by a fearless spirit, we returned—to raise a family, to reconnect with our roots, and to build Scotland’s most westerly distillery.
Every bottle we craft is distilled and bottled on the island, carrying a piece of Barra with it.
Our home. Our inspiration. Our family.
Our people
Since our first batch of gin in August 2017, Isle of Barra Distillers Co. has remained proudly family-run—with both family and the island of Barra at the heart of everything we do. It all began with husband and wife, Michael and Katie.
Today, our team has grown to six, but our mission remains the same: to build a lasting legacy—not just for our generation, but for the generations to come.
Isle of Barra Distillers is, and always will be, a force for good—championing the spirit, the people, and the unique character of our island home.
Our deep connection to Barra is the driving force behind everything we’ve achieved—and everything still to come.
Ada, our copper still
Creating the true taste of Barra and sharing the best of our island has always been rooted in family.
That spirit lives on in our custom copper still, named Ada after Michael and Katie’s daughter. Born in early 2020, Ada lent her name to the still installed later that year—a bold and fitting match.
Forsyths, the world-renowned coppersmiths who built it, shared the tradition of naming stills after women in the family, making the choice even more meaningful.
Introducing Ada was a proud milestone. We started with a 50-litre still, added a 75-litre as we grew, and finally achieved our long-held goal: a bespoke still, crafted with care and driven by determination.
Our packaging
We’ve moved from using a stock bottle made of 100% flint glass to a custom-designed bottle crafted from 78% recycled glass.
This high recycled content means no two bottles are exactly alike—a detail we love, as it reflects the individuality and character of our island home.
Creating a premium gin with a distinctive taste meant it was just as important for the packaging to stand out—on shelf, online, and in the hand.
To bring this to life, we commissioned Jemma Lewis, a hand-marbling artist from Wiltshire, to design a bespoke pattern for our packaging. Inspired by Barra’s landscape and using our signature botanical, carrageen, she created a unique marbled design that ties our gin and its story together beautifully.
Barra Atlantic Gin
The adventurous spirit of Barra people inspires our unique gin. Our main botanical, carrageen seaweed, is collected wild on the shores of the Isle of Barra. We want to create something that not only we can be proud of but that the wider Barra community can be proud of, giving back to our thriving island home.
Our award-winning Barra Atlantic Gin is now available in Waitrose & Partners branches across the UK. Our Island Spirit from the Outer Hebrides has been chosen for distribution by a UK-wide supermarket. Check our stockist map for your local Waitrose & share the taste of Barra.