A LUXURY floating hotel berthed permanently in the historic port of Leith has launched a new gin.

Fingal, which is housed within the ship MV Fingal, has joined forces with the neighbouring Lind & Lime Distillery to create a new London-style dry gin. It will be served exclusively to guests visiting the hotel’s Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar.

Distilled and bottled locally in a small batch, Fingal Gin is said to embody “refreshing” aromas of juniper, pine, orange blossom and a unique blend of Fingal tea. The flavour combination includes candied fruit, grapefruit peel, and notes of tea leaves, creating a “lasting impression” of summer fruit iced tea and cinnamon.

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Fingal Gin is contained in a 70cl darted glass bottle, which was designed to reflect the glass Fresnel lenses in the lantern room lighthouses. The own label branding is complete with Fingal’s “seafoam” pantone, trident logo, and blue ocean waves motif as a nod to the ship’s nautical past.

Fingal’s Jennifer Campbell said: “We’re really excited to be raising a glass to Fingal’s first own brand gin thanks to our talented friends and neighbours at the Lind & Lime Distillery.

“We wanted to create a classic London Dry Gin with our own unique twist, so with a new distillery right on our doorstep, we’re perfectly placed to work closely together and create a spirit exclusively for our guests in the ship’s Lighthouse Bar & Restaurant.

“Fingal Gin has been handcrafted in a small batch. Refreshing aromas of juniper, pine, orange blossom and unique Fingal blend tea make it the perfect option to serve over ice with a splash of tonic. We’ve also used our new gin to create a Lighthouse Martini cocktail.”

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Ian Stirling of Muckle Brig, which owns the Lind & Lime Distillery and The Port of Leith Distillery, which is due to open to the public this autumn, said: “Edinburgh’s historic port of Leith has a remarkable maritime and distilling heritage; for centuries this was Scotland’s gateway to the world. Our relationship with Fingal celebrates this unique story and draws on some of the traditions of the past.

“Today, we’re positioned right in the heart of Edinburgh’s vibrant waterfront and are both breathing new life into the port with our remarkable new vertical distillery and Fingal’s luxury floating hotel.

“We’re confident that the unique gin we’ve created for Fingal exemplifies the incredible glamour and style of the ship.”

Edinburgh’s its long association with gin stretch back to the 1700s. The Netherlands was a key trading partner for Scotland and through this link juniper berries, spices and botanicals were imported in vast quantities into the port of Leith.

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Launched in 1963, Fingal MV is a former Northern Lighthouse Board ship and was the last vessel to be built by the Blythswood Shipbuilding Company in Glasgow. It was converted into a hotel following a £5m investment by The Royal Yacht Britannia, a major tourist attraction based nearby.

To celebrate the launch of the new spirit, the hotel’s mixologists have also created a Fingal Gin-based Lighthouse Martini cocktail, including Fingal Gin and The Wermod Great British Vermouth, which is created within the Dalmeny Estate near Edinburgh. The vermouth is made using 24 different herbs, roots, and flowers from the estate.

Michael Kaplan from Great British Vermouth said: “We’re delighted to be featured alongside the new Fingal Gin as part of the ship’s signature Lighthouse Martini. Visitors to Edinburgh and Fingal’s renowned bar can now enjoy so much of what makes this country special – in a glass.”