1881 Distillery & Gin School

A Spring to Spirit Distillery in the heart of the Scottish Borders, built upon a Victorian swimming pool. Using our own private spring, Shieldgreen, we have crafted four flavoursome premium gins - Hydro Gin, Pavilion Gin, Honours Gin , Rafters Gin and our latest Tiffin Gin

Our gin school is the largest residential gin school in the UK, offering a range of gin distillery tours and distiller experiences. Explore the gardens of Peebles Hydro, meet Felicity our gleaming copper still, and craft your own gin.

Not many hotels are host to a distillery being built upon their Victorian swimming pool, but that didn’t stop our minds from wondering. The idea for the 1881 Distillery came from our history and heritage of tennis. Standing on the steps in front of Peebles hydro, overlooking the old tennis pavilion, reflecting on the days of gin and tonic being a popular tipple on the lawn. Could we use our pavilion to turn our private spring water into Gin?

Our idea quickly grew arms and legs, we swiftly found out that the pavilion was far too small for what we wanted to achieve. Undeterred, we decided to move production into the main hotel. The 1881 Distillery was born – named after the date Peebles Hydropathic Hotel was first opened, and built upon the Victorian swimming pool (Its still beneath the school today)