Skip to main content

All that's left of Whisky Galore: Remaining bottles of single malt



PUBLISHED: 20:33 GMT, 25 April 2013 | UPDATED: 21:44 GMT, 25 April 2013


Two rare bottles of whisky salvaged from a shipwreck off Eriskay in 1941 which inspired a book and film Whisky Galore to be auctioned

Two rare bottles of whisky salvaged from a shipwreck which inspired a book and film are to be auctioned.

The collector's items were part of the cargo on the 8,000-ton cargo ship the SS Politician which sank off the shores of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides in 1941 and inspired the book and film Whisky Galore.

The bottles, which have documents of authentication, are to be sold as a pair by Britain's biggest internet-only auction site Scotch Whisky Auctions, based in Glasgow, with bidding opening on Saturday and closing on May 5.

A great deal of interest is expected due to the unusual and legendary story behind where they came from.

Scotch Whisky Auctions director Bill Mackintosh said: 'Everybody loves the idea of the wily islanders diving to the bottom of the wreck and coming back up with bottles of whisky which they would then hide from the customs.

'But it is true that there are only eight which have have been authenticated recently and these are two of those which were sold at Christie's some time ago.'

The eight bottles surfaced in 1987 when local man Donald MacPhee from South Uist in the Outer Hebrides explored the wreck and found his liquid treasure.

He sold them at auction with Christie's and got £4,000 for his loot.

Two of those bottles were bought by a man in Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire. He has recently died and his widow decided to sell them along with the neck tags from Christie's and letters of authentication.

Scroll down for video






Locals sample a bottle of whiskey near to where the 8,000-ton cargo ship the SS Politician foundered off of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides in 1941. The documents, right, authenticating the bottles will be included in the lot

WHISKY GALORE! THE SHIPWRECK THAT INSPIRED A FILM AND BOOK



Whisky Galore! was a 1949 Ealing comedy film based on the novel Whisky Galore by Compton MacKenzie.


The movie and the novel were inspired by the 1941 shipwreck of 8,000-ton cargo ship S.S. Politician near the island of Eriskay and the unauthorised salvage of its cargo of whisky by islanders.


It starred Basil Radford, Bruce Seton, Joan Greenwood and Gordon Jackson.

The official documents from Christie's state: '2 bottles bottled by W & A Gilbey with original cork and wax sealed by Christie's in plain glass with shoulder embossing stating, 'Federal law forbids sale or re-use of this bottle'

While the whisky itself is possibly undrinkable, the unique history of these rare bottles is predicted to attract collectors from around the world.

The bottles are expected to sell for somewhere in the region of £2,000 but could go for much more, said Mr Mackintosh.

A total of 28,000 cases of malt whisky were on board at the time when the ship, sailing from Liverpool to the Jamaican capital of Kingston and New Orleans in the US, crashed.

Islanders salvaged much of the cargo, including many bottles of whisky, but only the eight from 1987 have been authenticated.

Mr Mackintosh added: 'This lot of two bottles is incredibly scarce and provides a rare opportunity to obtain a real piece of Scottish history.'

The auction will go live on Saturday on the website http://www.scotchwhiskyauctions.com/.



A total of 28,000 cases of malt whisky were on board at the time when the ship, sailing from Liverpool to the Jamaican capital of Kingston and New Orleans in the US, crashed. Islanders salvaged much of the cargo, including many bottles of whisky, but only the eight from 1987 have been authenticated

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o