Outer Hebridean whisky

Outer Hebridean whisky

Alex Kraaijeveld

The Outer Hebrides make quite an early appearance in whisky history. The travel writer Fynes Moryson writes in late-Elizabethan times (at the end of the 16^th century) about three types of spirits known in the Western Isles, graded by the number of times they were distilled: usquebaugh (twice distilled), trestarig (thrice) and usquebaugh-baul (four times); these types of spirits were also called simplex, composita and perfectissima. About a hundred years later, Martin Martin, in his A description of the Western Islands of Scotland talks about the same three types of spirits in connection to the Isle of Lewis:

Their plenty of corn was such, as disposed the natives to brew several sorts of liquors, as common usquebaugh, another called trestarig, id est, aquavitæ, three times distilled, which is strong and hot; a third sort is four times distilled, and this by the natives is called usquebaugh‑baul, id est, usquebaugh, which at first taste affects all the members of the body: two spoonfuls of this last liquor is a sufficient dose; and if any man exceed this, it would presently stop his breath, and endanger his life. The trestarig and usquebaugh‑baul, are both made of oats.

A further hundred years later, the Rev. Colin Mackenzie of the parish of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis writes in the Old Statistical Account of Scotland:

The people of the town seldom have menservants engaged for the year; and it is a curious circumstance, that, time out of rememberance, their maidservants were in the habit of drinking, every morning, a wine glass full of whisky, which their mistress gave them; this barbarous custom became so well established by length of time, that if the practice of it should happen to be neglected or forgotten in a family, even once, discontent and idleness throughout the day, on the part of the maid or maids, would be the sure consequence. However, since the stoppage of the distilleries took place, the people of the town found it necessary to unite in the resolution of abolishing the practice, by withholding the dear cordial from their female domestics, but not without the precaution of making a compensation to them in money for their grievous loss; and it is said, that even this is not satisfactory, and that, in some families, the dram is still given privately, to preserve peace and good order.

There are plenty more references to whisky and distilling on the islands of the Outer Hebrides . For instance, two farms on Lewis whose illicit whisky had a reputation for quality were Coll and Gress, and the farm names were almost used as brand names for the illicit product. Illicit distillers on Harris and Lewis often joined together to pay Excise fines. When a Justice of the Peace court was held at Stornoway in July 1808, the crofters paid ‘pretty smart fines’ before returning to their homes grumbling and discontented. Because of agreements among several families, the fines were divided and smuggling and distillation soon resumed. Loch Scolpaig on North Uist probably still contains the illicit distilling equipment dumped in the lake when the last illicit distillers on the island abandoned their ‘profession’. The funeral of Miss Peigi on South Uist in 1826 is still legendary among the local people for the amount of whisky made available. Several smuggling stories originate from the small island of Pabbay and the last of the Morrison family was evicted from the island in 1840 for illicit whisky distilling.

A unique Outer Hebridean contribution to whisky heritage occurred in 1941, when the SS Politician ran aground on rocks off the Isle of Eriskay, between South Uist and Barra. The ship was loaded with whisky and the ‘harvesting’ of its cargo by the islanders provided the inspiration for the book Whisky Galore, which was later made into a movie. The word “galore” by the way comes from the Gaelic “ gu leòir”, meaning “plenty”.

Given the wide variety of whisky facts and lore connected to the Outer Hebrides , it is perhaps surprising that they appear to have had only one legal distillery. The following synopsis of the rise and fall of Stornoway distillery on Lewis is largely drawn from Iseabal Glen's detailed notes on its history. People interested in more can find these in An Economic History of the Distilling Industry in Scotland 1750-1914 , a massive (700+ page) thesis with which she obtained her PhD at the University of Strathclyde in 1969.

In 1825, Stewart Mackenzie of Seaforth bought the Isle of Lewis (with the exception of the town of Stornoway ) for £160,000. The Excise Act of 1823 had made legal distilling of whisky an interesting opportunity for many lairds and Mackenzie set out collecting information with the aim of erecting a distillery on the island. Interestingly, much of Mackenzie’s initial paper work related to his distillery plans has been preserved. He contacted Henry Armstrong, a coppersmith in Leith :

At what price per lib. you will engage to make me two copper stills, containing nearly 600 and 400 gallons complete for putting on board deliverable at Leith by 15th Feb, next, payable at 3 months after delivery. The stills are to be of the same size, quality, and dimensions as those made by you for Prestonpans Distillery, of which you this day showed me the plans and measurements.

In addition to stills, Mackenzie also inquired about copper boilers, cocks and pipes and furnaces. Armstrong undertook the job, charging 1s. 7d. per lb. of copper, with 3d. per lb. extra for the cocks and pipes, all items to be delivered at Leith February 25, 1826 ; the total bill amounted to £1,934 3s. 6d. Mackenzie obtained estimates for the wood and carpentry work, the water wheel (£157 6s. d.) and the malt barn (£735 12s.) and the necessary instruments (like a saccharometer and a hydrometer). Together with Mr. Bulloch, Mackenzie’s representative on the site, the amount and origin of yeast, fuel (Mackenzie was keen on using only peat as fuel) and barley (could Lewis bere be used?) was investigated in detail. Mr. Bulloch assessment of the necessary employees and wages was as follows:

A principal malt man 20/- to 21/- per week
2 assistants 9/- to 10/- -- --
A bollman 18/- to 20/- -- --
1 assistant 10/- -- --
A man for tun & cooler room 16/- -- --
An assistant to do. 9/- -- --
A cooper about 15/- -- --
A clerk about £30-£35 yearly

Mr. Bulloch was to manage the distillery, which was expected to be operating 10 months of the year (but longer if demand was good). Mackenzie’s projection of total annual expenses and anticipated receipts gives a healthy balance: £11,150 in expenses against £14,400 in receipts, based on a yearly production of 54,000 gallons.

In the course of 1827, the first signs of trouble appeared: Mackenzie became involved in a dispute about payment of some of his bills. The next few years made clear that Mackenzie was short of funds, but despite this financial crisis the Stornoway distillery went into operation in 1829 or 1830. Around 1833, the distillery seems to have fully entered the market. There are records of a ‘great demand’ for the local product with ‘considerable quantities of spirits’ from the distillery brought into the town of Stornoway and only very little exported from the island. However, in a letter dated March 1835, A. Robertson asked Mackenzie to accept him as his London-based agent and estimated that he could sell 1,000 to 2,000 gallons of whisky a year due to his connections in England and India . Whether Mackenzie accepted this application and whether Stornoway whisky found its way to India is unclear, because records virtually stop. The distillery seems to have ceased operation around 1840, but the precise date and cause are unknown. Besides Mackenzie’s financial problems, distance from the markets, transport problems on the island itself and possibly problems with the water supply may all have played their role. The name of the last distiller in charge, MacNee, was immortalised in local speech: “ Tomhais Mhicnee”, Gaelic for “ MacNee’s measure” referred to a generous dram, testament to the way MacNee dispensed of the product of the distillery.

The closing chapter on the Stornoway distillery was written by Sir James Matheson. After purchasing the Isle of Lewis in 1844, he had the distillery demolished and built Lews Castle , a mock‑Tudor building on the distillery site. Sir James Matheson was a complete abstainer and prohibitionist and that meant the sure end of Mackenzie’s attempt to establish a whisky distillery in the Outer Hebrides .

But was Stornoway distillery really the only licensed Outer Hebridean whisky distillery? A memorandum from 1830 mentions a Ness distillery. Based on her research, Iseabal Glen concludes that it is unlikely that the Ness distillery was any other than the Stornoway distillery. However, in the New Statistical Account of Scotland, John Cameron, the parish minister of Stornoway (after commenting on a distillery on a grand scale in the parish, with coppers of large diameter; an obvious reference to the Stornoway distillery), talks about imported spirits: the quantity brought in from the distillery in the neighbouring parish is 328 gallons. Barvas is the main neighbouring parish to Stornoway, lying to the northwest and within its boundaries lies a village by the name of Ness … The parish minister of Barvas makes no mention of a distillery, but absence of proof is not proof of absence. Could it be that Iseabal Glen was wrong and that the isle of Lewis had not one, but two whisky distilleries during the first half of the 19^th century?

Thanks to Joanne Mackenzie-Winters for permission to use her picture of Lews Castle.

© 2003 Alex Kraaijeveld; picture of Lews Castle © The Internet Guide to Scotland - www.scotland-info.co.uk