Mark Reynier, Chairman of The Whisky Coast comments: “The west coast of Scotland is an area blessed with a wealth of distilleries each with their own unique flavour. From Glengyle, Scotland’s oldest family owned distillery through to Scotland’s youngest distillery on the Isle of Arran, whisky is undoubtedly in the air and an integral part of any visit to this glorious part of Scotland.”

A remarkable history of stories and a host of unusual facts are attributable to the west coast’s connection with whisky.

Mark Reynier offers some lesser known facts regarding the whisky of the West Coast of Scotland:

Whisky Characteristics of the west coast
“There are strong taste characteristics in whiskies which can be directly related to where that whisky was produced. The west coast of Scotland produces whiskies which can be catergorised by their own distinctive quality which is attributable to the coastal location of these distilleries. The whiskies produced in Skye, Jura, Mull, Arran and Islay are generally robust whiskies with notably salty tangs reminiscent of the fresh sea air. More specifically distilleries on Islay produce heavy, peaty and smoky tasting malts.”

An idyllic island of distilleries:
The Isle of Islay has more distilleries than any other Island in the world. 8 distilleries grace the island, namely Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahbhain, Kilchoman, Caol Ila. Laphroaig and Lagavulin. The southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, 600 square kilometers with an impressive 130 miles of coastline, 3200 people reside on Islay.

“Irish monks are believed to have been responsible for introducing the art of distillation to Islay during the fourteenth century. The unlimited supplies of peat, lochs and rivers made the island the ideal location for whisky production.”

Whisky Galore
One of the most famous stories in history relating to whisky is that of the SS Politician which ran aground in 1941 near the Isle of Eriskay. A busy cargo ship, amongst other items the ship had been carrying 260,000 bottles of first class whisky due to be delivered to America. No duty had been paid on the whisky, and the cargo was expected to sell for nearly half a million pounds.

As Mark explains: “ The SS Politician ran aground when the ship hit sand banks hidden beneath the water just off Rosinish Point on the Isle of Eriskay. A local lifeboat was called for and members of the public traveled out in sail boats, offering what assistance they could. But the real story was not what happened to the boat, but what became of the cargo.”

“islanders visited the wreckage individually and in groups and salvaged the whisky. It was not stealing in their eyes, for them the rules of salvage meant that once the cargo was in the sea it was theirs to rescue. The local customs officer, Charles McColl did not however agree with this view. He urged the police to act, which eventually led to a group of men being charged, some of whom were sentenced for up to six weeks imprisonment.”

Salvage attempts proved fruitless and it was decided that the SS Politician should remain at the place where it had ran aground. To ensure the final removal of any temptation to pillage further whisky from the wreckage, Charles McColl applied for and was granted permission to explode the hull.

Mark continues: “ For many years following this, the SS Politician lay silently at the bottom of the sea. Until a local man found eight bottles of whisky in the wreck and sold them at auction for £4000.”

A distillery with a family history
“Springbank Distillery in Campbeltown, is unique in the fact that it is Scotland’s oldest independent family owned distillery, comments Mark. Originally founded by Archibald Mitchell in 1822, the distillery is now run by his great, great grandson, Hedley G Wright.

“In addition the distillery is the only one in Scotland where the full production process involved in whisky distillation, takes place on one site.”

Money to burn on the Isle of Jura
Sparsely occupied, whisky distilling is at the heart of the small community on the Isle of Jura. Much of the island can only be visited on foot, and the island’s only road leads from the ferry to the Isle of Jura distillery in Craighouse, Jura’s only village. Apart from its unique Single Malt which attracts thousands of visitors to the island each year, Jura became infamous in 1994 for another reason due to a controversial stunt by a pop group.

Mark explains: “90’s group KLF paid a very famous visit to Jura in 1994 when they burned £1million in cash and filmed the event. It is claimed that this was some sort of guilty confession by the group and that their motivation was to rid themselves of the profits they had made during their career, feeling that they had been able to manipulate the music industry too easily. It is reputed that they enjoyed a bottle of whisky whilst watching the money go up in flames at an abandoned boathouse on Jura.”

The Whisky Coast is a company formed through collaboration between sixteen distilleries, three tour companies, eighteen hotels, restaurants, golf courses and attractions on the West Coast of Scotland. The Whisky Coast aims to raise the profile of the West Coast as an area blessed with a high concentration of distilleries against the backdrop of a dramatic rugged coastline.

For more information visit www.whiskycoast.co.uk