A Lab with an Old Apothecary Soul

Tucked into an estate framed by ancient Caledonian forest, our workspace feels like stepping into a time capsule. Amber glass jars line wooden shelves; aromatic sprigs hang from the rafters to dry; a copper alembic anchors the room with a warm gleam. Through the lab window the River Tay threads silver through the valley, a constant, quieting metronome of flow and return. (The Tay is Scotland’s longest river, running from the Highlands to the North Sea. Countryfile)

This is where scent is made the slow way—by hand, by patience, and by water and fire.

The Day’s Work: Harvest & Distillation of Bog Myrtle (Myrica gale)

We set out on foot just after sunrise, hiking 30 minutes into remote heath and bog—boots damp, air sweet with peat—until we found the low, resinous shrubs we’d come for: bog myrtle (also known as sweetgale). Its narrow leaves, lightly downy beneath, release a bright, sweet-green aroma when rubbed between the fingers. Wild Scotland.

Back in the apothecary, we hand-loaded the still and ran a six-hour steam-distillation using local spring water. The copper whispered; the condenser sang in gentle drips. By late afternoon we had two gifts: a shimmering essential oil and a soft, herbaceous hydrosol—the kind of materials that make perfumers lean closer.

Aroma profile (our organoleptic notes): aromatic and green, with featherlight floral facets and a subtle sweetness that lingers on the palate of the air.

Why Bog Myrtle?

Few plants are as bound to Scotland’s wild places as Myrica gale. It thrives in wet, acidic soils across the Highlands and Hebrides, forming low thickets that hum with insect life and seasonal change. Trees for Life.

Culture & History

• Medieval brewing: Before hops took over European beer, gruit ales were bittered with herbs—bog myrtle among the most prized for flavor and effect. Today’s revivalist brewers still celebrate its green, tea-like character.

• Folk practicality: For generations Highland fishers, walkers, and campers tucked sprigs of bog myrtle into pockets or hats as a natural midge repellent; the plant’s resinous oils are traditionally used in balms and soaps.

Royal Threads

• Queen Victoria’s sprig: Tradition holds that Queen Victoria received bog myrtle at Osborne House and that this connection helped seed the royal custom of including myrtle in wedding bouquets (the custom widely references Myrtus communis, but Scottish lore often nods to bog myrtle specifically).

• A living tribute: In Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden, the Queen Mother’s Memorial Garden features a labyrinth planted with bog myrtle—a quiet homage interlacing the plant with royal memory and Scottish landscape.

Landscape & Ecology

A keystone shrub of the bogs: Bog myrtle supports a web of insects and grazers and is a familiar signature of rewilding and peatland restoration sites across

Distillation Notes & Material Quality

• Material: Fresh aerial parts (leaves & young twigs), hand-harvested.

• Method: Steam-distillation in copper alembic; spring water; ~6 hours runtime.

• Yield: Low but potent—an essential oil with clean top notes and a rounded, gently balsamic drydown; hydrosol with a soft green lift ideal for space fragrance.

• Intended use (Cala Falcó): As a heart-green accent that ties bright marine-mineral facets to shaded woodland tones, capturing shore-to-forest transitions that define the Cala Falcó sensorial narrative.

From Soil to Bottle: Why This Matters

For Viti Vinci, crafting fragrance begins with place. Partnering with Hamish Martin at Call of the Wild roots our work in living ecosystems and regenerative practice—harvesting responsibly, celebrating native species, and distilling materials in ways that honor biodiversity. Every small batch teaches us something new: how altitude shapes terpenes, how rain the night before nudges yield, how copper and water can translate a plant’s language into perfume.