Archaeologists uncover illegal whisky still hidden in Highlands for 200 years

Archaeologists have uncovered the site of an illegal whisky still that was hidden in the hills of the Highlands for 200 years.

Members of the National Trust for Scotland unearthed a piece of a copper still used to make whisky during an excavation in Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve near Killin.

They also found stones and a timber post of the small bothy that once housed the equipment.

It is thought the illegal still likely lain hidden in the remote gully for more than two centuries.

The tapered copper alloy collar is believed to have been left behind in a hurry Supplied

The tapered copper alloy collar is believed to be the connecting piece between the lyne arm and the still head.

Further features of the site, including a hearth and evidence of burning, a stone-capped drain that ran beneath the internal floor, and a timber roof-support post, provide evidence that the structure was a purpose-built bothy for whisky distilling.

National Trust for Scotland said there are now five known illicit whisky bothies on the reserve, but this is the first site where part of a copper still has been discovered.

Derek Alexander, the National Trust for Scotland’s head of archaeology, said: “This is a wonderful example of how archaeology can tell a gripping story of spirit smuggling that would otherwise have been lost to time.

“In the early 19th century, illicit whisky distilling in these hills became a real battle of wits between excise officers and distillers. To find the remains of stills in these upland areas, you need to think like an excise officer. Those who distilled spirit in this bothy will have picked the location carefully to make sure they were well hidden.

“This bothy is well concealed along one arm of the Lawers Burn, nestled in a burn gulley where there’s a slight bend in the burn to shield the site from both upstream and downstream. The people who distilled here knew what they were doing and it’s possible the still was never seized by the authorities.”

The discovery was part of the The Pioneering Spirit project Supplied

In the 1780s, making whisky without a licence became illegal in Scotland, so many Highland distillers hid their stills in remote hills to avoid excise officers.

Derek Alexander said the unique copper collar may have been accidentally left behind after smugglers dismantled the still in a hurry.

“If the still had been found by the excise officers, the still would’ve been taken away and destroyed,” Derek added.

“So, the fact that we’ve found this connecting piece here suggests the still was dismantled in a hurry and its components whisked away by the smugglers as they dispersed. The connecting piece may have been forgotten in the rush and left behind.

“Distillers of illicit whisky would’ve travelled light and left little trace of their activity, and so a find like this is especially rare and exciting. It gives us a glimpse into an activity that was once rife in the hills of Ben Lawers and which was seen by many as an act of community resistance.”

The discovery was part of the The Pioneering Spirit project, which has already identified 30 illicit whisky-making sites over the years, including Mar Lodge Estate, Torridon, Ben Lomond and Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve.