“As fresh and wild as the island we live on”

Lussa Gin can be found in the north of the Isle of Jura, past our own distillery and along the island’s only road. The gin is the creation of three Jura residents, Georgina Kitching, Sofie Fletcher and Claire Fletcher – self-professed gin lovers who turned their appreciation for the spirit into an award-winning business.

This all-female team started crafting gin in 2015 after a chance conversation. Back then, all they had was a tiny, 10 litre still and a space in the corner of one of their kitchens – but still managed to produce more than 4,000 bottles. Since then, they’ve converted an old stable (after moving the horses?!) to accommodate a large, 200 litre copper still affectionately named ‘Hamish’.

Lussa Gin is a product of the island in every way. Every ingredient is grown or gathered from Jura’s coast, hills, woods and gardens. The botanicals are then frozen to capture some of the lighter flavours. The result is a spirit that is beautifully enhanced by the island’s unique maritime, temperate climate.

We caught up with Claire, co-owner of Lussa Gin to hear a little more.

Getting to know

Claire Fletcher, co-owner of Lussa Gin

There’s only around 250 people on Jura so we all know each other quite well. This is particularly true in the north of the island, which has just a handful of households and it feels almost like its own special community.
I think one thing that stands out about our community is that everyone wears more than one ‘hat’ and we run everything ourselves. So, whether it’s the Community Shop, the petrol pump, the Village Hall or the community council, everyone pitches in where they are needed.
We feel very lucky to be part of such a dynamic community and we get to live life a bit differently to those on the mainland.
I remember around 10 years ago; someone asked me if I’d ever thought about making gin. In truth, I hadn’t – but the question planted a bit of a seed in my brain. I emailed my two closest neighbours, Georgina and Sofie, to see if they’d be interested, and thankfully, they said yes. And that’s how the Journey began.
Each of us bring our own unique set of skills and experience to the business. For example, Georgina had a background in science and teaching – so she’s led on the operations and distilling side of things. This also came in handy when we had to borrow the odd bit of equipment from the local high school on Islay…
Doing business on Jura has its challenges, particularly getting stuff on and off the island, as you’re at the mercy of ferries and weather. However, it also means we can create something unique and the Lussa Glen at the north of the island is at the heart of our business.
All 15 botanicals in Lussa Gin can be grown or gathered here from the island’s hills, woodlands, coast and gardens. Our wilderness is precious, so we have had to think differently and do things differently This is why we freeze our botanicals rather than buying in dried ingredients.
When we started, we hired the village hall and invited the islanders to a blind taste test. Needless to say, it was well attended – and the result is what’s in the bottle today.
Jura is truly unique, it’s the eighth largest of Scotland’s islands, but one of the least populated and its wilderness is its main attraction. I may be slightly biased, but the north end of the island will always be dear to me. We have a site of special scientific interest and some of Argyll’s most ancient woodland so that’s where I’d take visitors.