Gin fans flocked to Speyside this weekend to take part in a celebration of the drink.
The inaugural Spirit of Speyside Gin Experience was held this weekend, with various themed events held throughout the region to showcase the growing industry.
Local gin producers teamed up with the organisers of the popular Spirit of Speyside whisky festival to put on a weekend’s worth of tours, tastings and fun.
A showcase event hosted in the Walled Garden at Gordon Castle in Fochabers allowed locals and visitors the chance to meet with distillers from across the north-east, taste some rare products and listen to live music while enjoying a day in the sun.
It came very close to being sold out with more than 500 guests at the two sessions on Saturday.
Guests enjoyed eleven great Speyside gins and cocktails, a delicious selection of locally sourced food, crafts and fantastic music from six different artists performing throughout the day.
Events coordinator Lauren Mustard was pleased at the public reaction to a what was a first-time attempt at a gin-based festival.
She said: “We are really delighted with the response from local people and visitors to Moray and Speyside.
“There was a brilliant atmosphere throughout the day and it was a real pleasure to see everyone enjoying our Speyside gins as well as getting a chance to talk to the local gin producers and enjoy what was a great new social occasion.
“We are also very much indebted to Gordon Castle for providing such a great setting for the first year for our main event and to all of the volunteer board members and helpers who have played such an important role in putting the event together.”
“The Spirit of Speyside team are hoping to build on the success of year one to turn what is a very unique gin festival into one of the most important gin events in the UK calendar over the coming years.
“In addition to being an attraction for local Speysiders, we hope to attract gin lovers from all over to come and stay with us for the whole weekend.”
In addition to the Gordon Castle event, there were various tastings and tours on offer on both Friday and Sunday at distilleries, bars and restaurants in both Moray and the Highlands, including on the Strathspey Steam Railway and Glenrinnes Distillery.
