Height of Arrows

Elevating Holyrood’s gin to brave new heights.

Having previously worked with the team at Holyrood Distillery to establish the name and brand for Height of Arrows, their much-anticipated gin release, we worked in further collaboration with Holyrood’s product development team on a bespoke bottle design for the gin.

Why Height of Arrows? It’s a nod to Ard-na-Said, the Gaelic name for Arthur’s Seat, the hill which sits in the centre of Edinburgh, which at 251m was said to be the maximum height an archer could fire an arrow. It perfectly encapsulates the Holyrood team’s ambition to aim higher, while celebrating their enviable distillery location in the dramatic shadows of this iconic Edinburgh landmark.

To ensure stand out in a competitive gin marketplace, the bottle profile is purposefully robust, clean and highly distinctive — its design taking inspiration from the forms of traditional drinking canteens taken on long walks, as well as historic flagons, as a nod to Edinburgh’s historic sense of place — reinterpreting these for a contemporary audience.

Through research, we also learned of an historic glass manufacturer, Cooper & Woods of Portobello, whose sea-aged bottles continue to wash ashore to this day. This inspired the tactile green sea-glass finish to the bottle — giving a nod to the distinctive taste-texture of the spirit, while serving as a reminder of Edinburgh’s enviable location between hill and sea. This subtle surface texture serves as an immediate sensory experience — you cannot help but to roll the tactile bottle in your hands — while providing grip in both on and off-trade scenarios.

Design details are discreet, allowing the bottle profile to truly shine. The gently sloping shoulders subtly reference the iconic summit of Arthur’s Seat itself, while the iconic ‘H’ marque (its stems cut at 45 degrees, the optimum angle for an arrow to reach its greatest height) adds a further, yet subtle, tactile element.

Following its release, Height of Arrows went on to be recognised with multiple awards including Gin of the Year by Whisky Exchange, New Product of the Year by Scottish Gin Awards, medals at the IWSC and ISC and Gold at the World Gin Awards.

"Picking up a bottle of Height of Arrows is an immediate sensory experience, with a gorgeous texture — you cannot help but to roll the bottle in your hands. The look is reminiscent of those old canteen flasks taken on long hikes, and I can’t wait to take this up to Arthurs Seat, which is also the inspiration for both the liquid and bottle. Touch created the design concept, and took us through the development journey, keeping flexible and approachable, but being a strong voice when required. The perfect partner to Holyrood Distillery".

Huw Wright, Managing Director, Holyrood Distillery.