Gins fans are in for a treat this September when Caledonian Railway and local producers, The Gin Bothy, team up once again to create an immersive experience that sees spirited fans travelling from Brechin to Bridge of Dun and back again.
Taking place on on September 25, the event, which can be booked on the Caledonian Railway website, will last two hours, with two different time slots available on the day.
The afternoon experience will depart at 3pm while the evening one from 6pm.
Participating guests will spend the time sampling four different gins from The Gin Bothy’s range of award-winning spirits, accompanied by a short presentation from the team, as well as the chance to purchase bottles on the return journey.
Trains will depart Brechin station on the hour, arriving at Bridge of Dun station 20 minutes later, guests will then be able to take in the Angus countryside while learning more about The Gin Bothy and sampling their products, before returning to Brechin.
Proves popular
Having already hosted the event more than a year ago, Kim Cameron, founder of the gin firm, is delighted that the Sloe Train experience is returning.
She said: “We are delighted to be back serving our gins on the Sloe Train and supporting the volunteers who run the Caledonian Railway.
“We love this event and seeing how much people enjoy the experience of their gin journey.”
The gin firm is the only company to have partnered with the Caledonian Railway to date, with others keen to get involved due to its popularity and success.
Every time the event has run it has sold out, and the team hope the same will happen again this year, with customers eager to get back out to enjoy hospitality with the easing of Covid restrictions.
Hosted and organised by the gin firm team, customers can sit back and relax as they are treated to numerous drinks.
Kay Thomson, resident gin expert and organiser for the event is looking forward to welcoming hundreds of people on board for the experience across the two sessions.
She added: “It started back in September 2018 and after the first one being a huge success with sold out tickets we ran it again a few weeks later.
“We run with two carriages at approximately 100 people per carriage and we have run it five times to date.
“It started with Brechin Caledonian approaching myself to ask if it was possible so I met with them and set it all up from our end. Since then we have formed a great relationship with the railway volunteers and it’s a great success.
“We are looking into more dates for future runs in 2022. Myself and Erin (tasting coordinator) take a carriage each and talk through the whole Bothy experience and how Kim started etc.
“We serve four pours and the train runs at a very slow speed to allow us to do this, stopping at Bridge of Dun and then returning.”
Info
Tickets cost £27.50 per person, plus a £1.90 booking fee.
There is the optional extra of adding a savoury snack box for two during the experience for an extra £15 plus £1.04 booking fee. The snack boxes are provided by The Whistle Stop coffee shop, based at Brechin Station and will be available upon arrival. Toilets are not available on the train but will be at the stations.