The Unique Gin Botanicals Behind Rock Rose Gin – Discover Our Highland Botanical Gin
Gin’s flavour comes to life through its botanicals – the carefully chosen plants, herbs, fruits, and spices distilled alongside juniper.
At Dunnet Bay Distillers, a family-owned craft distillery in Caithness producing Scottish gins, vodkas, and rum – including the multi-award-winning Rock Rose Gin – we handcraft our signature gin using a unique blend of locally foraged and traditional botanicals, each meticulously selected for its flavour properties. These are vapour-infused in our copper stills, Elizabeth and Margaret, to gently extract their essential oils and aromas. The result is an exceptional Highland botanical gin that reflects the purity, beauty, and coastal character of the Scottish Highlands. Our elegant, subtle gins celebrate the rich natural and cultural heritage of Caithness, with many botanicals foraged locally or grown in our distillery garden to capture a true taste of the Highlands in every sip.
What Are Gin Botanicals?
Gin botanicals are the natural flavouring ingredients – plants, herbs, fruits, spices, and roots – used during distillation to give gin its distinctive character. Juniper is always the star botanical (in fact, by law, gin must have juniper as its predominant flavour), but craft distillers such as Dunnet Bay Distillers – creators of Rock Rose Gin, Holy Grass Vodka and Mapmaker’s Coastal Spiced Rum – combine it with a wide variety of other botanicals, from zesty citrus peels and fragrant herbs to earthy roots and sweet berries. These botanicals are typically steeped or vapour-infused during distillation, gently releasing their essential oils and aromas into the spirit.
What Makes Rock Rose Gin Botanicals Unique?
Our Rock Rose Gin range is inspired by the abundant natural larder of Caithness and the rugged Scottish coastline. We forage and grow many of our botanicals ourselves, in harmony with the seasons, and complement them with traditional botanicals carefully sourced from Italy and Bulgaria. This thoughtful approach gives each gin its own distinctive character while staying true to our Highland roots, making Rock Rose Gin a true expression of Scottish craft gin.
We slowly hand-distil our spirits in small batches using our bespoke copper pot stills, affectionately named Elizabeth and Margaret. The traditional handmade copper head and botanical vapour basket allow us to extract flavours with precision and care, ensuring the very best results. Every bottle is filled, hand-waxed, batch-numbered, and signed before it leaves the distillery – a true mark of our craftsmanship.
Because our Caithness botanicals are influenced by the changing climate, each year brings subtle variations in flavour. This gentle shift is the hallmark of a handcrafted Scottish gin – always unique, yet always undeniably exceptional.
Our Core Range of Rock Rose Gins & Their Botanicals
Our award-winning Rock Rose Gin range, one of Scotland’s best-known Scottish gins, is available in a sustainable Bottle for Life, eco-friendly refill pouches, and convenient 50ml miniatures – perfect for sampling or gifting.
You can also enjoy regular deliveries of your favourite gins with free delivery included – each box containing a refill pouch of your choice, paired with premium mixers and fabulous goodies – plus access to exclusive limited-edition guest pouches by joining our 5-Star Refill Rewards Club.
Rock Rose Gin (Original)
Flavourful and fresh, zesty yet berryful with a long smooth finish. Key botanicals include sea buckthorn for crisp fruitiness, Rhodiola rosea for delicate floral notes, and juniper berries, balancing sherbet lemon brightness with warmth and depth.
Rock Rose Gin Smoked Orange Edition
A zesty citrus burst with a delicious smoked tea undertone. Made with organic orange peel, Lapsang Souchong tea for clean pine smoke, and lemon verbena from our distillery geodome for extra citrus lift.
Rock Rose Pink Grapefruit Old Tom Gin
A classic sweet Old Tom with a zesty finish. Features fresh pink grapefruit peel, juniper berries, and a touch of muscovado sugar for sweetness and depth.
Rock Rose Gin Citrus Coastal Edition
Recently awarded a 2-Star Great Taste Award 2025 by the Guild of Fine Food, our Citrus Coastal Edition is zesty with a bracing sea air finish, inspired by the Caithness coastline. Distilled with locally foraged lemon verbena from our distillery geodome, kelp from Shore Seaweed, and liquorice salt from the Hebridean Mustard Company, it captures the true essence of the Scottish Highlands in every sip.
Navy Strength Rock Rose Gin
Intense, bold and fresh with distinctive berry notes. Higher ABV brings out rich flavours of Rhodiola rosea, rowan berries, and earthy angelica root.
Our Seasonal Editions
Rock Rose Gin Spring Edition, Summer Edition, Autumn Edition, and Winter Edition– are also available in a Bottle for Life and refill pouch, offering flavour profiles that reflect the changing botanicals of the year.
Every bottle of Rock Rose Gin tells a story of the Scottish Highlands
From the botanicals locally foraged on our coastline to the traditional botanicals we source from further afield. Whether you enjoy the bright zest of our Smoked Orange Edition, the coastal character of our Citrus Coastal Edition, or the bold punch of our Navy Strength Gin, each sip is a celebration of craftsmanship, sustainability, and the heritage of Caithness.
Shop the Rock Rose Gin range and discover your perfect Highland botanical gin and experience one of the most distinctive Scottish gins available today.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gin Botanicals
Gin botanicals are natural ingredients such as herbs, fruits, spices, and roots distilled alongside juniper to create gin’s unique flavour.
Rock Rose Gin uses a distinctive mix of locally foraged Caithness botanicals such as sea buckthorn, rhodiola rosea, and rowan berries, alongside carefully sourced juniper from Italy and Bulgaria.
Many of our botanicals are hand-foraged on the Caithness coastline or grown in our distillery garden, meaning every batch reflects the natural environment of the Scottish Highlands.
Yes. Each botanical adds different notes, from citrus brightness and floral delicacy to earthy depth and subtle sweetness, creating a layered, complex gin.
Absolutely. You can enjoy them in our iconic ceramic Bottle for Life, eco-friendly refill pouches, or by joining our Refill Rewards Club. Our core range includes Rock Rose Gin Original, Citrus Coastal, Smoked Orange, Pink Grapefruit Old Tom, and Navy Strength, plus seasonal editions.
Yes. Sustainability is central to what we do. We forage responsibly, grow botanicals in our distillery garden, and use eco-friendly refill pouches to reduce waste.