Foraging outside in cold and wet weather...it’s great!

Working outside and getting covered in mud, James Donaldson describes being a full-time forager as his dream job.

He spends his days seeking out the botanical ingredients that make The Botanist Gin, which is distilled at the Bruichladdich distillery on Islay.

Growing up in Angus, James developed a love for Scotland’s varied landscape, and admits our natural environment is a gold mine for amazing produce.

He said: “Our woodlands, hedgerows, moorland and seashores offer an abundance of delicious, nutritious, free food.

“The Botanist Gin is distilled with 22 hand-foraged Islay botanicals, including apple mint, chamomile, creeping thistle, downy birch, Scottish juniper, lady’s bedstraw, lemon balm and bog myrtle.

“I pick them between March and October, and the biggest challenge is getting dry days to pick them in order to preserve their flavour and aroma.”

Sustainability is key, and James manages the amount of botanicals he picks and only readily available plants are included in the distilling process.

He added: “It’s great working outdoors, getting cold and wet and sharing my knowledge and passion for Islay with visitors.

“Bruichladdich are the only distillery on the island making gin and whisky and, needless to say, I’m a fan of both!”