Saxa Vord Distillery

The ambition to establish a legal distillery in Shetland had long attracted interest given the islands' seafaring and spirit-trading history, but no modern commercial distillery had ever existed there. In 2013, the Strang and Nickerson families joined forces to remedy that. The former RAF supply depot at Saxa Vord on Unst provided industrial buildings suited to distillery conversion, and the location — immediately south of the original radar station — gave the brand its name.

The first Shetland Reel Gin was produced in August 2014, using a recipe incorporating eight botanicals including apple mint grown locally on Unst. The initial batch of 500 bottles quickly sold out, confirming demand. Over the following years the gin range expanded considerably, adding cask-aged variants, botanical variations, and a gin liqueur incorporating local brambles and rhubarb.

In September 2015, the company released four single malt whisky expressions sourced from Glenglassaugh Distillery — Stuart Nickerson's former employer — finished and bottled in Shetland. A blended malt whisky, partially matured in bond on Unst, followed, becoming the first Scotch whisky ever to have been partially matured in the Shetland Islands. Production capacity at the site stands at approximately 30,000 litres per year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the distillery pivoted briefly to produce hand sanitiser under the name "Reel Clean Hands."

Saxa Vord operates with a total production capacity of approximately 30,000 litres. Gin is the primary distillate, produced using a small copper still. The standard Shetland Reel Gin uses eight botanicals, including locally grown apple mint from Unst. The distillery does not currently distil its own whisky spirit; instead, Scotch malt spirit is sourced from elsewhere in Scotland and finished or matured in bond at the Unst site, taking advantage of Shetland's maritime climate for cask influence. Water is drawn from local Shetland sources.

Shetland Reel Gin is defined by its clean, Nordic botanical profile. The standard expression leads with juniper and fresh citrus, underpinned by the locally grown apple mint and a gentle salinity that reflects the island environment. The cask-aged gin adds vanilla and spice from oak contact. The whisky releases — sourced single malts finished on Unst — carry the additional character of Shetland's maritime air, with briny, coastal influences layered over the base malt character from the source distillery.

The distillery is open to visitors at Haroldswick on Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Islands. Reaching Unst requires travelling to Shetland Mainland (by ferry from Aberdeen or by air) then taking two short ferries across Yell Sound and Bluemull Sound. Tours of the distillery and the Saxa Vord resort complex are available. A physical shop operates on site, and online orders can be placed through shetlandreel.com. The combination of extraordinary remoteness and the former RAF backdrop makes this among the most unusual distillery visits in Britain.