Darnley’s Gin Distilling the Spirit of Fife
The Wemyss family’s spirits journey started in 2005 with a successful foray into the Scotch whisky industry. Shortly afterwards, in 2010, they became fascinated by the possibility of crafting artisanal gin and exploring a new world of flavor. With this vision, Darnley’s Gin was born.
Brother-sister team, William and Isabella Wemyss, named Darnley’s Gin after an important moment in Scottish history that occurred at Wemyss Castle, their family’s ancestral home in Fife, Scotland. In 1565, Lord Darnley first spotted his wife-to-be, Mary Queen of Scots, on a visit to Wemyss Castle. Mary loved the gardens at the estate, so William and Isabella thought it only fitting to pay tribute to her and Lord Darnley with their artisanal gin from Scotland.
When searching for the perfect location for their gin distillery, the Wemyss family didn’t have to look far. They restored the historic farm cottage next to their whisky distillery, in the village of Kingsbarns, where the family has lived and worked for centuries. Darnley’s Gin Cottage sits next to their other business, Kingsbarns Single Malt distillery, and is surrounded by woodland, barley fields, and the North Sea beyond.
Crafted in the London Dry Gin style, Darnley’s Gin was inspired by the elderflower that grows wild around Wemyss Castle. Resident distiller Aaron Milligan and his team makes the gin using only natural ingredients — a high-quality British-grown grain spirit; the best botanicals sourced from the garden surrounding the Darnley’s Gin Cottage, Wemyss Castle, and trusted international growers; and purified water. By respecting the ingredients gifted to them by nature, the Darnley’s Gin team creates a light, floral, citrusy, natural-flavored gin that honors distillers past.
Darnley’s Gin can be enjoyed neat over ice, shaken or stirred, or as part of a classic cocktail recipe. However it is served, it offers a nuanced, authentic taste and uncompromising quality.
Darnley’s Gin Highlights
Darnley’s Gin was founded by the Wemyss family, who have lived in Fife, Scotland, since the 13th century.
The name comes from Lord Darnley, who first spotted his wife-to-be, Mary Queen of Scots, at the family’s ancestral home, Wemyss Castle.
Made from natural botanicals, most of which are sourced from the gardens at Darnley’s Gin Cottage, Wemyss Castle, and Fife-based growers.
The other key ingredient is the pure, mineral-rich water which hails from the aquifer directly below the distillery and is filtered through Carboniferous Period sandstone.
Distilled in a copper pot still, this London Dry Gin has a light, floral, citrusy profile and can be enjoyed neat, over ice, or in any cocktail build.
An Ancient Family Seat in Fife, Scotland
For over 800 years, the Wemyss family has lived and thrived in Fife, on Scotland’s East Coast — known for having the perfect climate to grow wheat and barley. Wemyss Castle overlooks the coastline, sitting atop ancient caves formed into the sea cliffs. The Darnley’s Gin cottage is located not far from the estate, in the “East Neuk” (“east corner”) of Fife, which is home to picturesque fishing villages and a vibrant food and drink scene to which Darnley’s Gin is proud to belong.
Natural Botanicals Grown in Fife & Beyond
Each bottle of Darnley’s Gin begins with the highest quality British-grown grain spirit and the finest botanical ingredients. The team pride themselves on making a gin that’s perfectly natural, meaning that no additional flavors or sweeteners are added after distillation, only purified water.
In the gardens surrounding the Darnley’s Gin Cottage, the team grow as many botanicals as the Scottish weather allows. They also partner with local experts to forage for some botanicals, like the elderflower that grows wild in the grounds of Wemyss Castle. Darnley’s Gin places such importance on its natural, quality ingredients that the botanicals are beautifully illustrated on the bottles, bringing the unique flavors of each gin to life.
Eco-Friendly from Forest to Cottage
Working with expert local foragers, Darnley’s Gin aims to reduce their environmental impact by foraging for native botanicals in a sustainable way, greatly reducing their “botanical miles.” The team are careful to take only what they need and never deprive the local ecosystems of these valuable plants. They also source water from an aquifer beneath the distillery, and effluent flows back into the land, naturally filtered through reed beds beside the distillery.
Darnley’s Gin Cottage has transitioned to 100% renewable energy sourced from the property’s own hydro schemes. They also offer lightweight packing options (such as refillable pouches) and encourage consumers to return empty gin bottles, which they then recycle. Some of the recycled bottles are even repurposed to make the distillery’s vegan, soy wax candles. By harnessing the power of nature and recycling whenever possible, Darnley’s Gin strives to reduce its carbon footprint and set a positive example for the industry.
The Careful Crafting of Darnley’s London Dry Gin
Aaron Milligan and the Darnley’s Gin distilling team begin with the highest quality British-grown grain spirit, which is made from wheat and distilled to 96% through a column still. Next, Aaron adds the botanicals to the still and steeps them for 24 hours in the neutral grain spirit that has been reduced to 55% using the water sourced directly below the distillery before the final distillation. This allows greater extraction of the essential oils and flavors from the botanicals.
Distillation takes place in a 350-liter / 92-gallon copper pot still, which the team affectionately calls “Dorothy” after two of the cottage’s regular visitors and one of Darnley’s Gin tour guides. The liquid is heated until it vaporizes, taking with it all the essential oils and aromas from the botanicals. Then, the vapor is cooled, condensed, and collected as a concentrated spirit. Aaron discards the “heads” and “tails,” saving just the “heart of the distillation.” This “heart,” which must be at least 70% ABV to be considered London Dry Gin, is reduced to bottling strength with purified water, at which point Darnley’s Gin is bottled, packaged, and ready to enjoy.
Distilled by Fife Native Aaron Milligan
Aaron Milligan has been part of the Darnley’s Gin team since 2022, but he became the resident gin distiller in 2023. When asked about his new position, Aaron said, “The best thing is getting to know and deepen my connection to Fife, the place I was born and bred. Nothing beats the experience of working on our own botanical garden and finding new foraging spots for future recipes.” When he’s not coming up with innovative new recipes, Aaron runs Darnley’s Gin School Experience, helps the Kingsbarns Whisky distillery team, leads distillery tours, and welcomes visitors.
