STORIES

They say if you don’t like the weather in the Outer Hebrides just wait a minute…

The Isle of Harris Distillery was raised by the sea. In fact, the land on which it is built was once a tidal bay before being reclaimed for development.

The Isle of Harris has always had a strong connection to the sea, and our distillery is no different, particularly with the arrival of a new marina right on our doorstep. 

As I drove the long and winding road to the village of Keose, I began to wonder just what I’d let myself in for, as the next heavy hail shower rolled in, hammering down on the car roof. This wasn’t quite the sunny day away from my desk I’d had in mind…

Spring is in full swing here in Harris, and we’ve been blessed with beautiful days full of birdsong and big blue skies. The crofts, machair and moors around us abound with new lambs, and those of us who cut peats are already making a start on this year's hard work.

After months of seemingly endless wind and rain, hail and snow, the Isle of Harris emerges from winter just in time to welcome the annual arrival of lambs

It’s the sound of the peat banks and sheep fanks and can be heard in homes across the Outer Hebrides. It can be discerned in village shops, streets and schools across our islands and, if you listen closely enough, in our distillery too.

As January comes to a close, it’s clear winter is still with us as the high hills of Harris shine with the whitest of snows and a rare, low sun casts long shadows during this season of short days.