[Innes Rothach – Preseantair] Tha na deuchainnean mu dheireadh gan dèanamh aig Taigh-staile Na Hearadh, ‘s dùil gun tòisich na stailean a’ sileadh uisge-beatha an ceann cola-deug. Tha gin Na Hearadh air a bhith ri fhaotainn airson còrr is mìos a-nis agus ‘s ann air èiginn a thathar a’ cumail suas ris an iarrtas. Bha an taigh-staile a’ tomhais gun reiceadh iad 12,000 botal sa chiad bliadhna ach, mar a tha Ruaraidh Rothach ag aithris, tha iad mar -thà air 8,000 botal a reic ann am mìos gu leth.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] ‘S e slighe fhada a th’ann gu ruige mac-na-bracha ùr a chruthachadh. Ach tha cùisean aig Taigh-staile na Hearadh a’ gluasad a dh’ impis an ceann-uidhe sin. An t-seachdain-sa chaidh na deuchainnean mu dheireadh a dhèanamh air na stailean. Tha Coinneach MacIlleathain os cionn sgioba a bhios a’ cruthachadh an uisge-beatha ùr ‘Hearach.’
[Coinneach MacIlleathain] Chaidh a h-uile càil gu math. Mar a tha gnothach sam bith tha rudan beaga ri dhèanamh. Tha an t-seachdain sa tighinn romhainn ach tha a h-uile càil gu math agus bha an dà stail ag obair an-dè agus fhuair sinn spiorad às agus tha sin a-nis deiseil agus tha sinn an dòchas gum bi sinn a’ cruthachadh uisge-beatha ceart ann an cola-deug eile.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Airson beagan teachd-a-steach fhaighinn anns na bliadhnaichean mus bi uisge-beatha deiseil, tha an taigh-staile air a bhith reic gin. Cha ghabhadh tomhais dè cho mòr ‘s a tha iarrtas air a bhith ann airson gin Na Hearadh.
[Coinneach MacIlleathain] Bha sinn an dòchas 12,000 botal gin a reic sa chiad bliadhna. Tha sinn a-nise, chì thu feasgar an-diugh, tha sinn air 8,000 a dhèanamh mar-thà agus air reic cha mhòr mar-thà. Agus mar sin, chan eil sin ach ann am mìos agus air èiginn tha sinn a’ cumail suas ris. Cho luath ‘s a nì sinn ullamh air na sreath bhotail feumaidh sinn tòiseachadh a-rithist.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Tha sreath de bhotail gin eile deiseil airson an lìonadh. Tha e an urra ri Dòmhnall MacLeòid agus càch gin gu leòr a dhèanamh airson cumail suas ri na òrdughan a tha a’ taomadh a-steach gach latha.
[Dòmhnall MacLeòid] Tha e air a dhol air feadh an t-saoghail a-nis agus tha daoine tilleadh a dh’ iarraidh tuilleadh so tha iad a’ feuchainn ri cumail suas ris. Tha sinn a’ feuchainn ri, o thòisich sinn tha sinn air a bhith feuchainn ri stoc a chur air ar cùlaibh so nuair a thòisich an t-uisge-beatha gum faigheamaid dìreach air aire a thoirt dhan a sin ach tha e doirbh dhuinn sin a dhèanamh oir tha e falbh bho na sgeilpichean cho luath. Chan eil dol againn air stoc a chur chun dàrna taobh ann leis cho keen ‘s a tha daoine air.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Tha feamainn siùcair anns an gin a tha toirt blas caran saillte air. Ach dè tha na daoine a tha dèanamh an gin a’ moladh mar an dòigh as fhèarr a ghabhail?
[Dòmhnall MacLeòid] Tha a h-uile duine eadar-dhealaichte agus cha b’ urrainn dhòmhsa ràdh ri duine gabh mar siud e no gabh mar seo e – fuar no teth – chan eil ann ach dìreach mar a tha e. Tha cuid ‘s e lemon a tha iad a’ gabhail ‘s feadhainn eile lime. Tha feadhainn eile agus tha iad ga ghabhail leis fhèin, chan eil iad a’ cur càil ann. Tha a h-uile duine eadar-dhealaichte ‘s chan eil ann ach dìreach a rèir mar a bhios e a’ còrdadh riut fhèin ach tha e glè mhath balgam dheth moch agus anmoch tha iad ag radh!
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ruaraidh Rothach, BBC An Là, aig Taigh-staile Na Hearadh.
[Innes Munro – Presenter] The final tests are being carried out at the Isle of Harris Distillery in the hope that the stills will begin to flow with whisky in two weeks’ time. The Isle of Harris gin has been available for over a month now and they are only just keeping up with the demand. The distillery were estimating that they would sell 12,000 bottles in the first year but, as Roddy Munro reports, they have already sold 8,000 bottles in a month and a half.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] The journey in producing a new single malt whisky is a long one. But things at the Isle of Harris distillery are moving to meet that objective. Last week the final tests were carried out on the stills. Kenneth MacLean is in charge of the team who are creating the new whisky ‘Hearach.’
[Kenneth MacLean] Everything went well. As with anything there’s still little things to do. The week ahead is looming but everything is good and the two stills were working yesterday, spirit was produced, and we are now ready and hope we will be producing proper whisky in another fortnight.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] To earn some income in the years before whisky is ready, the distillery has been selling gin. They couldn’t have predicted how great the demand has been for Isle of Harris gin.
[Kenneth MacLean] We had hoped to sell 12,000 bottles of gin in the first year. We have now, you’ll see this afternoon, made 8,000 already and sold almost that amount too. So, that’s just in a month and we’re barely keeping up with demand. As soon as we’ve finished a batch of bottles we have to start all over again.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Another batch of gin bottles are ready to be filled. It is up to Donald MacLeod and the and the others to make enough gin to keep up with the orders which are piling in each day.
[Donald MacLeod] It’s gone all over the world now and people are coming back wanting more so they are trying to keep up with it. We are trying to, since we started, we have been trying to set stock aside so that when the whisky began we would be able to focus our attention on that but it’s been difficult for us to do that as it’s flying off the shelves so quickly. We haven’t a chance to set stock aside with how keen people are on it.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] The gin contains sea kelp which gives it a somewhat salty taste. But how do those who make the gin recommend it should be drunk?
[Donald MacLeod] Everyone is different and I couldn’t possibly say to people have it like this or have it like that – hot or cold – it’s just how it is. Some have it with lemon and some others lime. There are others who drink it on its own, they don’t add anything to it. Everybody is different and it just depends on how you enjoy it but it’s quite good to have a sip of it in the first thing in the morning and last thing at night, they say!
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Roddy Munro, BBC An Là, at the Isle of Harris distillery.
[Innes Rothach – Preseantair] Tha na deuchainnean mu dheireadh gan dèanamh aig Taigh-staile Na Hearadh, ‘s dùil gun tòisich na stailean a’ sileadh uisge-beatha an ceann cola-deug. Tha gin Na Hearadh air a bhith ri fhaotainn airson còrr is mìos a-nis agus ‘s ann air èiginn a thathar a’ cumail suas ris an iarrtas. Bha an taigh-staile a’ tomhais gun reiceadh iad 12,000 botal sa chiad bliadhna ach, mar a tha Ruaraidh Rothach ag aithris, tha iad mar -thà air 8,000 botal a reic ann am mìos gu leth.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] ‘S e slighe fhada a th’ann gu ruige mac-na-bracha ùr a chruthachadh. Ach tha cùisean aig Taigh-staile na Hearadh a’ gluasad a dh’ impis an ceann-uidhe sin. An t-seachdain-sa chaidh na deuchainnean mu dheireadh a dhèanamh air na stailean. Tha Coinneach MacIlleathain os cionn sgioba a bhios a’ cruthachadh an uisge-beatha ùr ‘Hearach.’
[Coinneach MacIlleathain] Chaidh a h-uile càil gu math. Mar a tha gnothach sam bith tha rudan beaga ri dhèanamh. Tha an t-seachdain sa tighinn romhainn ach tha a h-uile càil gu math agus bha an dà stail ag obair an-dè agus fhuair sinn spiorad às agus tha sin a-nis deiseil agus tha sinn an dòchas gum bi sinn a’ cruthachadh uisge-beatha ceart ann an cola-deug eile.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Airson beagan teachd-a-steach fhaighinn anns na bliadhnaichean mus bi uisge-beatha deiseil, tha an taigh-staile air a bhith reic gin. Cha ghabhadh tomhais dè cho mòr ‘s a tha iarrtas air a bhith ann airson gin Na Hearadh.
[Coinneach MacIlleathain] Bha sinn an dòchas 12,000 botal gin a reic sa chiad bliadhna. Tha sinn a-nise, chì thu feasgar an-diugh, tha sinn air 8,000 a dhèanamh mar-thà agus air reic cha mhòr mar-thà. Agus mar sin, chan eil sin ach ann am mìos agus air èiginn tha sinn a’ cumail suas ris. Cho luath ‘s a nì sinn ullamh air na sreath bhotail feumaidh sinn tòiseachadh a-rithist.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Tha sreath de bhotail gin eile deiseil airson an lìonadh. Tha e an urra ri Dòmhnall MacLeòid agus càch gin gu leòr a dhèanamh airson cumail suas ri na òrdughan a tha a’ taomadh a-steach gach latha.
[Dòmhnall MacLeòid] Tha e air a dhol air feadh an t-saoghail a-nis agus tha daoine tilleadh a dh’ iarraidh tuilleadh so tha iad a’ feuchainn ri cumail suas ris. Tha sinn a’ feuchainn ri, o thòisich sinn tha sinn air a bhith feuchainn ri stoc a chur air ar cùlaibh so nuair a thòisich an t-uisge-beatha gum faigheamaid dìreach air aire a thoirt dhan a sin ach tha e doirbh dhuinn sin a dhèanamh oir tha e falbh bho na sgeilpichean cho luath. Chan eil dol againn air stoc a chur chun dàrna taobh ann leis cho keen ‘s a tha daoine air.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Tha feamainn siùcair anns an gin a tha toirt blas caran saillte air. Ach dè tha na daoine a tha dèanamh an gin a’ moladh mar an dòigh as fhèarr a ghabhail?
[Dòmhnall MacLeòid] Tha a h-uile duine eadar-dhealaichte agus cha b’ urrainn dhòmhsa ràdh ri duine gabh mar siud e no gabh mar seo e – fuar no teth – chan eil ann ach dìreach mar a tha e. Tha cuid ‘s e lemon a tha iad a’ gabhail ‘s feadhainn eile lime. Tha feadhainn eile agus tha iad ga ghabhail leis fhèin, chan eil iad a’ cur càil ann. Tha a h-uile duine eadar-dhealaichte ‘s chan eil ann ach dìreach a rèir mar a bhios e a’ còrdadh riut fhèin ach tha e glè mhath balgam dheth moch agus anmoch tha iad ag radh!
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ruaraidh Rothach, BBC An Là, aig Taigh-staile Na Hearadh.
[Innes Munro – Presenter] The final tests are being carried out at the Isle of Harris Distillery in the hope that the stills will begin to flow with whisky in two weeks’ time. The Isle of Harris gin has been available for over a month now and they are only just keeping up with the demand. The distillery were estimating that they would sell 12,000 bottles in the first year but, as Roddy Munro reports, they have already sold 8,000 bottles in a month and a half.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] The journey in producing a new single malt whisky is a long one. But things at the Isle of Harris distillery are moving to meet that objective. Last week the final tests were carried out on the stills. Kenneth MacLean is in charge of the team who are creating the new whisky ‘Hearach.’
[Kenneth MacLean] Everything went well. As with anything there’s still little things to do. The week ahead is looming but everything is good and the two stills were working yesterday, spirit was produced, and we are now ready and hope we will be producing proper whisky in another fortnight.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] To earn some income in the years before whisky is ready, the distillery has been selling gin. They couldn’t have predicted how great the demand has been for Isle of Harris gin.
[Kenneth MacLean] We had hoped to sell 12,000 bottles of gin in the first year. We have now, you’ll see this afternoon, made 8,000 already and sold almost that amount too. So, that’s just in a month and we’re barely keeping up with demand. As soon as we’ve finished a batch of bottles we have to start all over again.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Another batch of gin bottles are ready to be filled. It is up to Donald MacLeod and the and the others to make enough gin to keep up with the orders which are piling in each day.
[Donald MacLeod] It’s gone all over the world now and people are coming back wanting more so they are trying to keep up with it. We are trying to, since we started, we have been trying to set stock aside so that when the whisky began we would be able to focus our attention on that but it’s been difficult for us to do that as it’s flying off the shelves so quickly. We haven’t a chance to set stock aside with how keen people are on it.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] The gin contains sea kelp which gives it a somewhat salty taste. But how do those who make the gin recommend it should be drunk?
[Donald MacLeod] Everyone is different and I couldn’t possibly say to people have it like this or have it like that – hot or cold – it’s just how it is. Some have it with lemon and some others lime. There are others who drink it on its own, they don’t add anything to it. Everybody is different and it just depends on how you enjoy it but it’s quite good to have a sip of it in the first thing in the morning and last thing at night, they say!
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Roddy Munro, BBC An Là, at the Isle of Harris distillery.