Unearthing Scotland’s Secret Spirit-Smuggling Past
In the remote reaches of the Scottish Highlands, archaeologists have uncovered compelling evidence that a stone bothy once concealed an illicit whisky still, dating back nearly two centuries. This remarkable find sheds light on a clandestine world of underground distillation that defied law and authority.
Rare Copper Still Fragment Reveals Hidden Distilling Operation
The excavation at Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve (NNR) uncovered a fragment of a copper still, alongside a meticulously built hearth and traces of burning. These artifacts confirm the bothy’s secret use as a covert whisky distillery during an era when private, unlicensed distilling was outlawed.
Following the enactment of illegal private distillation laws in the late 1780s, many distillers resorted to ingenious methods to evade excise officers. Remote upland shelters, like the bothies in Ben Lawers NNR—five of which are known—became sanctuaries for illicit production. The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) manages this rugged reserve where the discovery was made.
Archaeological Insights Into Whisky Smuggling Tactics
Last month’s dig also revealed a substantial stone-capped drain beneath the bothy’s floor and a timber roof support post, likely buried amid the collapse of the walls. Derek Alexander, NTS’s head of archaeology, described the find as a vivid narrative of spirit smuggling that history nearly obscured.
“Illicit whisky distilling in these hills was a strategic battle of cunning between excise officers and distillers in the early 19th century,” Alexander explained. “To discover these still remains, you must think like an excise officer. The distillers chose this bothy deliberately—it’s tucked away in a burn gulley with a bend that conceals it upstream and downstream.”
He added, “The operators here clearly understood secrecy. It’s plausible the still was never seized because of its well-chosen hidden location.”
The Dramatic Story Behind the Forgotten Copper Piece
Had excise officers located the still, they would have dismantled and destroyed it. The copper fragment found—thought to have connected the lyne arm and the still’s head—appears to have been left behind during a rushed dismantling and escape.
“This connecting piece was likely forgotten in haste as smugglers dispersed,” Alexander said. “Illicit distillers traveled light, leaving scant evidence, making this find exceptionally rare and thrilling. It offers a window into a once widespread act of defiance in the hills of Ben Lawers.”
Historical Context of Illicit Whisky Production
Experts date the bothy’s use to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, following the 1788 Excise Act that criminalized private distilling. While five illicit whisky bothies are known in the reserve, this is the only site where copper still components have surfaced.
The excavation forms part of The Pioneering Spirit project, supported by The Glenlivet, continuing efforts to uncover Scotland’s rich heritage of whisky production and smuggling.
