Falkirk Wheel: Cheers to bespoke gin marking 200 years of Union Canal

Scottish Canals have teamed up with an award-winning Purist Gin to create a bespoke bottle of the popular gin.

Set up by Bruce Walker during the lockdown, he has gone from strength-to-strength with his gin making facility, located just along the canalside from the Scottish Canal’s Headquarters in The Whisky Bond building in Glasgow. He has already picked up a number of industry awards.

Bruce invited Scottish artists to design unique labels for his bottles and the anniversary, limited edition, unique clear bottle, celebrates the Union canal gin with a label designed by Scottish artist Molly Sellers and includes pictures of the Leamington Lift Bridge right through to the Avon Aqueduct and Falkirk Wheel.

Scottish Canals chief operating officer, Richard Millar, said: “In our 200th year of the Caledonian and Union canal we have wanted to celebrate in all sorts of different ways, we’ve had a massive flotilla, we’ve had talks, presentations and exhibitions that have gone round and about the country just to celebrate this wonderful piece of canal engineering, but we also wanted people to toast this exciting 200 years with a tipple and we came together with our partners at Purist Gin and they helped us to develop a gin especially to celebrate the Union canal.

“This is a real opportunity to enjoy this gin, to toast 200 years of history and hopefully look forward towards the future of another 200 years.”

Bruce Walker said: “Being on the canal network we approached Scottish Canals to discuss a commemorative gin to celebrate and toast 200 years of the Union Canal. We have a concert of working with artists who can showcase their artwork on our gin, a classic London Dry gin. The artist Molly Sellers was selected to create the label celebrating and highlighting the history, connections and current uses of the Union Canal today. A perfect collaboration to celebrate the heritage of one canal with a young business developing on the banks of another canal in Scotland.”

The bespoke bottle of Purist Gin is available to purchase at the Falkirk Wheel visitor centre.