Leith gin set to honour man behind scurvy cure

The 18th-century Scottish doctor who discovered that citrus fruits could help treat scurvy is to be honoured in the nation’s latest gin.

Dr James Lind, a pioneer of hygiene in the Royal Navy, has provided the inspiration for the name and flavour of the first gin from the entrepreneurs behind what will become Scotland’s first vertical distillery in Leith.

A wine bottle design has been created for the Lind & Lime Gin in recognition of Leith’s history as a trading port in wine, sherries and port, which can be traced back to the 14th century.

Seven different botanicals, including zest of a lime, have been used to create the gin.

Lind, the son of an Edinburgh merchant, carried out one of the first controlled clinical trials recorded in medical science in 1747.