A tasty tipple fit for royalty was hand-delivered to one of the UK’s most historic golf clubs.
Dubbed King Jimmy, the new cider has been created by the Cairn O’Mohr winery near Errol in Perthshire.
Owner Ron Gillies was inspired to pay tribute to Scotland’s longest-serving monarch after taking delivery of two tonnes of apples from Perth’s Moncreiffe Island.
He was first invited by members of King James VI golf club to find a use for the fruit, following a bumper crop in 2010.
Faced with the backbreaking prospect of carrying loads of apples across the river Tay footbridge, he put out an SOS call.
Fortunately, the Perth Sea Cadets came to his aid, transporting several boatloads from the island to the mainland.
The fruit was then processed with apples harvested from the Carse of Gowrie’s ancient orchards to create the Cairn O’Mohr cider.
When the club contacted him again last year, Mr Gillies revealed he was reluctant to repeat the process.
He said: “They asked if I wanted to pick the apples again and it was a bit of a bother, but I was eventually persuaded to do it.
“This time I decided we would make it separately to see what it tasted like and it actually had a very nice flavour.
“We have decided to make a special King Jimmy cider using these apples.”
In recognition of the ongoing partnership with King James VI golf club, Mr Gillies has supplied them with their own stock of the special edition cider.
In keeping with its royal connections, King Jimmy was unveiled at Perth Racecourse, which has boasted visits from Bonnie Prince Charlie in the 18th century and the current Prince Charles last year.
Punters at the Perth Festival were first to taste the winery’s latest creation, which has a “curious” flavour of honey and tea.