(NOTE: FOUNDERS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
Scotch Whisky Founders
Island Subregion
The Northern Areas within Scotland includes the Highland Sub-Region
Below are links to Whisky Founders that have made huge contributions to the growth of the Island Regions as well as the Scotch Whisky Industry as a whole. These may have been historical figures that lived long ago before prohibition or may be living leaders that have advanced the cause of the industry as a whole.
1
Magnus Eunson
Mangus Eunson was tipped off about an impending raid on his illegal whiskey-house. When the Excise agents burst in, a solemn “funeral service” was under way, with the coffin resting on casks discreetly covered with a white cloth. Just before the covering was raised, the word ‘smallpox,’ was whispered and the agents fled.
2
John MacDougall
John MacDougall was one of three key founders of Tomatin Distillery in 1897. All of them were shopkeepers and hoteliers whose livelihoods depended on travelers as well as locals, giving them practical reasons to value both reliable transport links and a dependable supply of spirit.
3
John Sinclair
In April 1797, John Sinclair applied for 57 acres south of the harbor to build houses and a distillery. The timing was almost perverse. Distilling had been banned since 1795 as Britain tried to conserve grain during wartime pressures. Predictably, Sinclair was initially told to build a brewery instead.
4
John Townsend
John Townsend continually dealt with the unglamorous necessities of distilling: bonded storage, buildings, and excise compliance. A Customs & Excise file relating to Scapa submitted at that time included applications for a warehouse extension in the late 1890s, complete with plans of the distillery.