Mists and Molecules: Perfuming the Scottish Atmosphere with Castle Forbes

Aberdeenshire, Scotland – with its geographically diverse mix of coast and hilly agricultural land, captivates with its rugged grandeur. Adorned with winding stone structures and ancient castles, Castle Forbes is one of many, but is singularly a perfumery housed within these ancient walls.

 

Dressed in earthy colours and dominated by deep greens, heather purples, and golden hues, Castle Forbes’ surroundings are the source of great inspiration – where the vast expanse of nature is respected, its essence contained in each and every product. This is most apparent in their fragrances, which creates precise portraits of the many pockets of Scotland. Here are a handful of them:

Gentleman's Cologne

Lovers of Castle Forbes’ Lime Shaving Cream should cast their eyes directly to Gentleman’s Cologne, which begins with the zesty twang of the beloved citrus note, with an opening so attractive it beckons for another spray. These hesperidic sparks, as fizzy and giddy as sherbet, work upon camphoraceous layers of pine, cedar, lavender and sage – as if it were the breath of the Scottish Highlands, filtered through a canopy of cypress trees. To finish, gorgeous ambery resins round out the composition.

1445

This traditional fragrance celebrates the fuzzy green texture of ferns and grasses. 1445 is a profusion defined by the robust folds of petitgrain, lavender, and patchouli, marking the very best of the Fougère style. Brightened with lemon, sharpened with tarragon, and warmed with the fire of clove, 1445 is tweaked so to get the balance right, finished with the agrestic charm of vetiver. A frosty morning in the country, this fragrance forms part of a larger collection including matching shaving cream and aftershave balm.

Forbes of Forbes

Forbes of Forbes reaches out, like a hug, thanks to the allure of a warming tobacco note, driven with a predominant coumarinic warmth redolent of vanilla and tonka beans. Against a background of melting amber, this palpable softness is superimposed by a juicy orange not. A dusky fragrance, Forbes is a retreat inside a Scottish manor nestled amidst frost-kissed hills, immersed in the spectre of an ancestral valour as the cackling fire softly dances, keeping winter at bay. 

Special Reserve Vetiver

Through shadings of smoke, char, and spice, a cool-tempered and tranquil stillness is to be found in the heart of this perfume. Vetiver is consistently handsome: the angular quality of the note is reinforced with the bright, raspy, and almost muscular top of grapefruit, warmed with the embers of black pepper and the fruity accentuation of pink pepper. This is a complex story of earthy leathery greens, purifying woods, spices, and musks, as diverse as the landscape itself.

View the Full Castle Forbes Range