Founders Story
Hello! I’m Ian – one of the founders of The Wandering Hours Gin.
We created Wandering Hours to celebrate an alternative to the rush and chaos of modern – online – life, and to celebrate a way of life that is slower, more grounded and connected with others.
I, like many people, am drinking alcohol less, but I’ll drink much better and make the moments count.
This is my story, and the inspiration behind developing The Wandering Hours.
Note from the Founder.
A “Dell” in Scotland is a “small, secluded, and usually wooded valley or natural hollow in the ground”. It’s a sanctuary of sorts. A place to go to escape, let the time tick by and be yourself – in peace.
In 2025, I bought my first home with my partner. For many people in our generation, this is a huge milestone.
In the years previously, we had lived in the dense, busy heart of Edinburgh centre. We built businesses and chased careers. We found ourselves, like many people of our generation, we were struggling and craving an alternative way to live our lives.
It became clear that we no longer aspired to success or grandeur, but to the modern luxuries of peace, quiet and a sense of community that many of us living in the city have lost.
But, the years of hard work paid off, and we managed to buy our first home in a place we’d dreamed about – near Colinton, Edinburgh South-West.
In the first weeks of moving here, speaking to a neighbour, she told us a story. She was digging while gardening when she hit something unexpectedly hard. As she dug it out, she found that it was an old millstone, which must have been there for 100- 150 years or so. It now sits on her doorstep.
While the world looks to the city centre for history and prestige, the South-West holds centuries of quiet richness just beneath the surface – visible only to those who take the time to notice.
After some time here, I started to change; I’d wander across the hills and in the dells, finding joy in artefacts and discovering lost history. I learned about and foraged the local flora, and worked part-time with a tree care company, where I learned how to care for and preserve the local environment. I became a passionate advocate for Edinburgh South-West.
Speaking to friends, I knew I was not alone. I am part of a growing movement within our generation choosing a slower life, while finding comfort in noticing the smallest details that are often overlooked by those who are rushing or distracted; collecting old vinyl records, participating in community and improving my hyper local world. Our ambitions are to be more connected to the place and people around us.
With the Colinton centenary approaching, I wanted to capture this way of life in how we flavour and produce the gin. With a background in botanical extracts, I knew the power of flora and herbal extracts on experience, so I approached the development the gin differently. Therefore, it needed to contain local flora but also – to reflect its purpose – be distilled gently and slowly to preserve the delicate aromatics.
Our gin is my love letter to all places like Colinton, and their way of life, a symbol of a shared mindset; for anybody searching for their own “dell”.
As part of this, I hope to showcase Edinburgh South-West as a place of tremendous value – worthy of the same reverence as Edinburgh town centre or port.
Here, you can find the botanicals we use in our gin, fantastic local produce and exceptional restaurants like THE FREE COMPANY. You’ll find a vibrant, active and friendly community at THE HUB.
You’ll find space to think, time to reflect, and find that there is joy in hours that wander.
Who are you?
“I am Ian McLaren, a Colinton Resident and now the Founder of The Wandering Hours Gin.
You can learn more about me here via LinkedIn.“
Why did you create The Wandering Hours Gin?
“The Wandering Hours Gin was created to celebrate Colinton and Edinburgh South-West – where I call home with my partner, Bonita. It’s a love letter to the place we have come to love.
In Scotland, we tell our stories through alcoholic spirits. Edinburgh is a gin city, world-renowned for its pristine spirits that tell the story of where they come from.
I noticed that Edinburgh South-West’s interesting history and remarkable beauty were overlooked.
Alongside efforts to boost the local economy, the Colinton Tunnel Mural and the creation of The Hub in Spylaw Park, I wanted to contribute and put my own knowledge and experience into creating something that could celebrate Edinburgh South-West in restaurants, bars and at dinner tables around the country. Hopefully, around the world.
We’ll be launching the gin to coincide with 100 years of Colinton too”
What inspires you?
“The two concepts that inspired the gin’s creation process are place and time.
I started the gin development by foraging local botanicals to flavour the gin, but we wanted to be different from other gin’s that celebrate the landscapes they come from.
We built our whole philosophy around what makes places like Colinton unique.
That led me to the second concept of “time”.
Just living in a place like Colinton taught me a valuable lesson: Life’s joy reveals itself when we take the time to notice.
In our modern world, time is increasingly precious. Standing in the dell, a place where time slows down, reminded me of what is important: to spend every moment wisely.
So, we distil our gin with local botanicals, slowly and gently, to create a fantastic-tasting spirit that is so good, you save it for a moment when you can notice its complexity – and enjoy it fully.
What makes your gin Unique?
“Our gin’s flavour unfolds slowly and naturally – it takes you on a journey from one place to another. I think that’s unusual.
It’s also reminiscent of the famous honey Colinton produces, which makes the gin terroir for our landscapes.
I also have a background in using botanical extracts. I understand the delicate compounds and aromatics that can alter the physiological effects of substances, like alcohol.
Therefore, we made sure to coax the essential oils from each botanical, using an unusually slow and gentle 8-hour method of production – in a copper bain-marie still.
Taking our time makes a real difference to how the gin tastes – and feels.
What’s the most “You” decision you made while developing the gin (something people advised against)
“On multiple occasions, the sun was singled out as not being quite right, but something about it was interesting, eye-catching, and appealed to me.
It was inspired by the face on the Foulis sundial and illustrated by my mum – so there was a little bit of a personal bias towards it.
I think there is something old-world and mystical about it, that connected with the emotions I felt about the story I was trying to tell.
It was kept throughout all of our design iterations, and I’m really happy it made it to the finished bottle.
How do you drink your own gin? (& where is your idea spot?)
“I love to drink malt whisky, so I like to drink gin similarly to how I drink whisky.
To unlock all of the flavours, nuances and delicate notes from a whisky, you add just a splash – even a drop – of water. Gin is the same once you add tonic.
I really like the fact that the gin has nowhere to hide, and with a particularly aromatic gin, you can taste it exactly as it was intended.
In our house, we have a south-facing window – its right at the spot where the vinyl record sounds the best on the speakers too. Give me a Friday after a beautiful summer’s day, you’ll find me slow sipping, watching the world go by.”
Your generation are drinking less, why create a gin?
“All the analysis says people are drinking less than they used to.
I am part of that cultural shift too.
But, I don’t see the “all or nothing” drinking culture that is promoted online; I see myself – and those around me – simply picking and choosing their moments better.
I myself have started drinking less, but I drink much better quality when I do.”