Loch & Loaded: Part Two Of The North Coast 500 Adventure

Although I have a rather unusual Jaguar XJ as my everyday car and Mike has his S-Class, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is on a completely different level.

It’s like comparing wrestlers Duane “The Rock” Johnson to Big Daddy. Both are well-known, both are winners, but the difference is plainly obvious. The Ghost seems to be without fault, and I find it hard to envisage a car more deserving of the word luxurious.

As we continued along the winding roads, only very occasionally coming across a car travelling in the other direction – imagine that! – the scenery switched constantly between amazing, spectacular and stunning.

Sheep grazed by the roadside and every now and again the view was punctuated by hairy brown cows. If this part of the drive had been twice as long, we would have enjoyed it every bit as much.

But all too soon we’d reached our next destination, the Dunnet Bay Distillery, home to a gin like none other I’ve ever tasted.

The distillery, producing gin and vodka, is run by husband and wife team Martin and Claire Murray and their seven staff. Gin accounts for about 95% of their production and both it and the vodka have been acknowledged nationally with Great Taste Awards.

My favourite was the Rock Rose Gin, made with rose root picked from the local cliffs to make it less astringent and a better flavour. If I heard right, it’s the only distillery using the root, which makes it a must-visit place for
gin lovers.

Martin and Claire’s lives seem to be idyllic, with a thriving business, plans for expansion, orders from around the world, a growing family, and beautiful countryside all around. They want to remain hands-on, so they restrict production to guarantee it remains a premium product, and the time they spend discovering new herbs and experimenting with flavours keeps them passionate about the business.

I did ask what would happen if one of the large supermarket chains stepped forward with an order for thousands of bottles – a development that could result in a distinct change in the way the business operates.

Martin’s answer was pretty clear: “Not right now. We’re very happy with the way things are.”