The Water of Life (uisge beatha)

Nobody can name the date in which Scotch Whisky was first distilled and the origins of distilling remain somewhat a mystery. However, it is believed that distilling may first have been attempted in Asia around 800BC and found its way to Europe via Asia. Who can guess when the art of distilling hit the shores of Scotland? We do know that the Ancient Celts practised the art. To them, the potent spirit was a gift from God. Is power to revive weary, ailing bodies, keep out the cold, and lift hearts was magical and so they named it “uisge beatha” the water of life. The earliest documented record of distilling in Scotland was in 1494, when an entry in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls listed Eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make “aquavitae” (water of life).

By 1777, whilst 8 distilleries were contributing to the revenue of the UK and 400 unregistered stills were lining the pockets of the freebooters who ran them, amongst the Highlands and Islands of Scotland illegal distilling was rife. Hidden amongst the heather-clad hills, in caves or indeed anywhere out of site of the excise officers, locals were distilling this vital spirit.

In 1823, thanks to the efforts of the Duke of Gordon, taxes were cut so that whisky distilling could become profitable once again, and smuggling died out. The Excise Act, as it was known, laid the foundations of the whisky industry as we know it today.

Indeed, the history of Scotch Whisky has been a turbulent one, but it has survived wars, trade barriers, economic depressions and recessions, and is, today, the premier international spirit of choice, extending it's reach to more than 190 countries throughout the world.