The Location

For the purposes of whisky taxation during the eighteenth century, Scotland was divided into two parts by the United Kingdom Parliament; the part with the northern distillers and the part with the southern distillers. Quite simple! the Highlands and the Lowlands. The dividing line, its route, its re-routing and re-defining are part and parcel of the mystique and magic, the tales of the trials and of the tribulations of distillers, of the people of Scotland, of the extended and colourful history of Scottish malt whisky. Utterly unique. And in every golden drop, in every amber dram, in every single bottle it’s there to be unravelled. Illicit distilling and cross-border smuggling. By today’s standards the whisky was probably course, enhanced by foreign bodies, enhanced by foreign liquids and lacked a tax disc. Surprising angels managed to survive that century or two.

Survivors

Within the Lowlands reside both Edinburgh and Glasgow, and a relatively high density population in the central belt. A good marketplace. Despite that, only four distilleries in the entire region are producing malt whisky. Four that is if we include the new farm size Daft Mill distillery near Cupar in Fife which began distilling in 2005 and will come of age later this year. And, that is if we include Bladnoch in Wigtownshire, the most southerly distillery in Scotland, which is something of a part-timer now. Which leaves just Glenkinchie south-east of Edinburgh near Pencaitland and Auchentoshan on the edge of Glasgow as the only real, long-term survivors. That said, bottlings of closed distilleries are to hand although, slowly ageing and slowly diminishing, they will be gone someday. At the head of that list, indeed in the top reaches of any malt list is Rosebank. Rosebank Distillery like St. Magdeline Distillery in Linlithgow benefited initially from close proximity to the Union Canal. The canal provided the means for transportation of bulky raw materials and bulky produce, a route to markets in both Edinburgh and Glasgow and also their ports and hence their colonies and our empire.

The Gateway

Perhaps the role of the Lowlands in the twenty-first century needs to be rewritten. Not a producer but a staunch supporter. International airports for us to jet in and out, deepwater ports for our cruise lines and international ferries to berth, a gateway into Scotland. An array of whisky merchant’s shops and the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre by Edinburgh Castle on the Royal Mile are there to get us started, and then to move on and out. On and out to the Distillery visitor centres to sample and see.