But smuggling was still a concern in 1910: “The late Mr Patrick Murray says: ‘No notice of Arran at this time is possible without a reference to the making and smuggling of the famous ‘Arran Water’” (Stonehaven Journal). In 1995, Ayrshire Word reported: “With the recent opening of the £2.5m Arran Distillery at Lochranza, a tradition of whisky production is maintained … but this time it’s legal! ... Gillian McCreadie who runs Arran Whisky’s Visitor Centre … added: ‘Whisky is of interest to the islanders as Arran was involved in illegal trade for many years. We … managed to track down a Mr Lachie Mackinnon … to be there at the opening so that we could maintain a continuity with him and his forbears, William and Donald Mackinnon who were shot in 1837 for making their own “Arran water”’.”And Arran still “holds its own secrets of the past … home to some of the illicit stills that produced the infamous Arran water in the days of early distilling on the island”. (The Herald, 2023).

Source: The Herald May 18, 2024 19:27 UTC