1881 Distillery&School- Peebles- Scottish Borders
Nestled in the beautiful Scottish Borders, 1881 Distillery at Peebles Hydro is home to Master Distiller Duncan Black, where the art and craft of Scottish distilling comes to life.
Join Duncan at the Distillery School and get a fascinating behind-the-scenes insight into the world of craft distilling. With years of experience, Duncan shares his knowledge, passion and expertise, guiding you through the process and revealing what goes into creating exceptional spirits.
Duncan’s skills extend beyond gin too. At 1881, he crafts a selection of award-winning liqueurs, including delicious Limoncello and Orangecello, showcasing his passion for quality ingredients, flavour and traditional craftsmanship. 🍋🍊
And the best part? You can get hands-on at the Distillery School and create your very own bespoke gin! Experiment with botanicals, discover different flavours and work alongside Duncan to create a spirit that’s uniquely yours — then take your creation home to enjoy. 🥃
It’s a wonderful opportunity to learn directly from an experienced Master Distiller, discover the secrets behind the spirits and hear the stories of the craft from the person who knows it best.
All this while enjoying the beautiful surroundings of Peebles Hydro and a true taste of the Scottish Borders. 💚
🚍 Getting there is easy too. The Borders Buses X62 connects Peebles with Edinburgh, Galashiels and surrounding towns, with a stop close to Peebles Hydro.
So why not leave the car behind and make a day of it? Scottish scenery, local history, award-winning craft spirits and a little gin — what’s not to love?
Selkirk Distillers- Selkirk- Scottish Borders
Based in the historic Scottish Borders town of Selkirk, Selkirk Distillers is a family-run distillery owned and operated by Master Distillers Allan and Jane Walker.
With extensive travelling experience around the world, Allan and Jane have brought together their knowledge, inspiration and passion for spirits to create a range of distinctive, award-winning drinks right here in the Scottish Borders.
Their journey is rooted in a love of quality, flavour and craftsmanship, with each spirit carefully developed to reflect their experience and the character of the region they call home.
Located in the heart of Selkirk, Selkirk Distillers is a wonderful example of the creativity and independent spirit found throughout the Scottish Borders.
If you're exploring the region by public transport, Selkirk is conveniently served by the Borders Buses X95, making it easy to include a visit to this local producer as part of your Borders adventure.
Local producers. Local passion. A true taste of the Scottish Borders.
The Wildings Distillery - Galashiels- Scottish Borders
The Citrologist Gin.
Paul and Malcolm first met as students at Aberdeen University in 1979 and have been close friends ever since. Following successful careers in medicine and academia, a 60th birthday gin-making experience sparked a passion that led them to establish The Wildings Distillery together.
Using high-quality botanicals and fresh citrus, Paul’s skills as a ‘gin alchemist’ have created a distinctive range of premium small-batch citrus and dry gins. For Malcolm, the distillery also brings a family tradition of Highland distilling back to life.
Today, The Citrologist is very much a family affair, with both families helping to create these carefully crafted Scottish gins.
Find The Wildings Distillery in Galashiels, conveniently served by the Borders Buses X95 between Edinburgh and Carlisle — making it easy to explore the Borders by public transport while discovering local producers along the way.
The Borders Distillery - Hawick - Scottish Borders
Bringing Scotch Whisky back to the Borders since 1837.
Opened in March 2018, The Borders Distillery is the first Scotch whisky distillery in the Scottish Borders for over 180 years. Using locally grown barley, mineral-rich water and a passionate, dedicated team, the distillery is creating a new generation of Single Malt Scotch Whisky inspired by the spirit of the Borders.
Based in Hawick, a town renowned for its tradition of craftsmanship, innovation and enterprise, the distillery is proud to be part of the region’s whisky-making revival.
Visit The Borders Distillery in Hawick, conveniently located on the Borders Buses X95 service between Edinburgh and Carlisle, and discover the passion behind bringing whisky back to the Borders.
Ad Gefrin Distillery - Wooler - Northumberland
England’s most northerly whisky distillery, Ad Gefrin brings together an Anglo-Saxon museum, distillery and celebration of Northumbrian heritage in the heart of Wooler.
Inspired by the ancient Royal Court of 7th-century Northumbria, Ad Gefrin has re-awakened a whisky-making tradition that had been dormant for over 200 years. The distillery is owned and led by the Ferguson family, who founded Ad Gefrin to celebrate Northumberland’s heritage, landscape and people. Their passionate team of distillers, historians, hospitality specialists and local makers creates spirits and experiences rooted in the region’s history and character.
Using locally grown barley and pure Cheviot water, the distilling team crafts whisky with a strong sense of place, while the wider Ad Gefrin team brings the museum, visitor experience, food and hospitality to life.
A unique place where ancient heritage meets modern craft, Ad Gefrin celebrates the people, produce and spirit of Northumberland.
Visit Ad Gefrin in Wooler by public transport on the Arriva X16 service, with additional local bus routes also serving the town.
Durty Brewing Microbrewery - Innerleithen - Scottish Borders
Founders Gordon and Paul first met in Edinburgh in the early 2000s through the Hash House Harriers. Their shared love of the outdoors, bikes and mud led to years of fell running, adventure racing and mountain biking — including the legendary Strathpuffer as a Pair. Twice!
After settling in the Scottish Borders, their passion for good, interesting beer eventually sparked the idea of starting their own brewery. A few too many beers in 2020 turned that idea into a plan, and after three years of hard work, Durty Brewing opened its taproom in Innerleithen in 2023.
With Adam, their Head Brewer, bringing the brewing expertise, and Jack and the local team running the taproom, Durty has become a celebration of the Tweed Valley and its famous mountain bike trails. The beers are even named after them.
And getting there is easy — Durty Brewing Microbrewery is right on the Borders Buses X62 route, making it a great stop when exploring the Scottish Borders.
Come for the trails, stay for the beer!
Task Priority Coffee Co - Jedburgh - Scottish Borders
Task Priority Coffee Co. was born inside The Outcast Facility in Jedburgh, founded by Neil Davidson, a former Royal Marines Commando and bodyguard.
Neil’s life has been built around focus, resilience and preparation — from military operations and close protection to elite fitness, motorcycles and countless miles on the road. Throughout it all, coffee was a constant: a ritual that fuelled early starts, hard training, long days and life lived at full pace.
That experience inspired Task Priority Coffee Co. — built around the simple idea that when the pressure is on, the task in front of you comes first.
More than just coffee, Task Priority represents discipline, determination and preparation, while remembering to enjoy the moment when the job is done.
From The Outcast Facility in Jedburgh to wherever the next task takes you, Task Priority Coffee Co. brings a taste of the Scottish Borders with a distinctly adventurous spirit.
Getting here: The Outcast Facility is conveniently located on the Borders Buses 68 service, making it easy to reach by public transport.
Traquair Brewery- Innerleithen- Scottish Borders
Traquair House Brewery lies in the wing of the house directly underneath the Chapel. It dates back to the early 1700s and was originally a domestic brewery serving the house and the estate. It was disused in the early 1800s but never dismantled. Over the years, it gradually filled with the family’s unwanted furniture and belongings until it was completely forgotten.
Traquair House itself is recognised as Scotland’s oldest inhabited house, having been lived in for more than 900 years. A substantial building existed here by 1107, when King Alexander I signed a royal charter at Traquair, and the house has remained a family home for centuries. The Stuart family has lived at Traquair since 1491.
Peter Maxwell Stuart rediscovered the brewery in the early 1960s and began brewing again as an experiment in 1965, using all the original equipment and fermenting the ales in the original oak tuns, some of which were over 200 years old. The first brew was developed as a traditional Scottish ale, and Traquair went on to become recognised as a pioneer of microbrewing.
Footage has recently come to light showing the 20th Laird, Peter Maxwell Stuart, brewing with his daughter, Catherine, the present 21st Lady of Traquair.
The Borders Buses X62 Service provides a convenient bus connection to Innerleithen, linking the Scottish Borders with Edinburgh and the surrounding area.
Kaleside Bothy Scottish Tablet - Morebattle - Scottish Borders
Long before it became a business, Kaleside Bothy was all about making traditional homemade Scottish tablet — a much-loved family craft that has now blossomed into an official venture.
At the heart of it all is Julie, who after more than 30 years in the NHS, now pours her time and passion into creating the rich, crumbly tablet that customers love. From her home in the picturesque village of Morebattle, she combines tablet-making with family life and time with her four grandchildren.
Alongside her is her daughter Andrea, who keeps the business running smoothly from the beautiful Yarrow Valley, managing orders, enquiries and all the day-to-day organisation.
Since officially launching in 2025, Kaleside Bothy has been overwhelmed by the support they’ve received — and their love for what they do shines through in every batch.
Traditional, homemade and made with plenty of heart — it’s easy to see why Kaleside Bothy’s Scottish tablet is becoming a favourite. 💛
Chain Bridge Honey Farm- Berwick-upon-Tweed- Northumberland
Established in 1948 by beekeeping advisor William Selby Robson, Chain Bridge Honey Farm is a long-standing family business producing quality honey and beeswax products in the Scottish Borders and Northumberland.
William’s son, Willie, joined the business in 1962 and expanded the farm from its early days of comb and wild white clover honey into a diverse range of honey, beeswax, skincare and propolis products. Today, the business remains family-run, with Willie, Daphne and their three children among a team of 15.
Around 1,500 hives are managed within a 40-mile radius of Berwick-upon-Tweed, with honey harvested, prepared and packed at the farm. The business is proudly vertically integrated, with beekeeping, hive-making, production, wholesaling and retail all carried out by the team.
With a history spanning more than 75 years, Chain Bridge Honey Farm is a true family producer, rooted in the local landscape and committed to making the most of what its bees provide.
Find them on the Borders Buses 67 route, which operates between Galashiels and Berwick-upon-Tweed, making the farm accessible as part of a Borders food and drink journey.
Jethart Snails- Jedburgh - Scottish Borders
Jethart Snails- Jedburgh - Scottish Borders
Today, the Wylie family continue the tradition of making Jethart Snails by hand in Jedburgh, keeping one of the Scottish Borders’ best-loved traditional sweets alive. Each little peppermint sweet is shaped into its distinctive curled “snail” form, following a recipe that has been passed down through generations.
The story of Jethart Snails is said to date back to the Napoleonic Wars, when a secret recipe for a peppermint confection was passed to a local baker by a French prisoner of war held in Jedburgh. The recipe was then handed down through the generations, becoming the local delicacy known as Jethart Snails.
With Jethart being the traditional name for Jedburgh, these sweets have become a true taste of the town — connecting the Wylie family’s work today with a fascinating piece of local history and Borders food heritage.
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