A RECENTLY-RENOVATED Borders museum has received a timely tonic after it received the go-ahead to sell its own branded gin.

The Trimontium Museum in Market Square, Melrose, tells the story of the Romans in the Borders and their relationship with the local population.

Pre-dating Hadrian’s Wall, and being one of the largest fort sites in Scotland, Trimontium has produced a wealth of important archaeological finds that shine a light onto the Roman era in Scotland.

Within the museum is a retail shop selling tourist items.

On Friday (June 24) the Trimontium Trust was granted a provisional licence application from the council’s licensing board for the sale of alcohol at the outlet – to be consumed off-site – in particular a Trimontium-styled ‘novelty’ gin.

The Trust’s Kay Callender told the board: “We simply want to have, I suppose it is a bit of a novelty to be honest, a Trimontium-branded gin, with our label – Trimontium, on it, and in time I also hope to stock a couple of varieties of wine from a Roman vineyard down in Shropshire.

“Maybe through time I’ll be able to track down a whisky that I can do as well but it’s a very small offering in that sense.

“So rather than the ‘sale of alcohol’ it’s the sale of a novelty item to add to our range. That’s pretty much what it is.”

Councillor Tom Weatherston said: “This is a good news story. There are no objections from licensing or the police and so I’m happy to support it and wish them every success.”

The renovated Trimontium Museum was officially opened in April by HRH the Duke of Gloucester, patron of the Trimontium Trust.