A Distilled History of Whisky Smuggling on Arran

How Arran’s illicit distillers made their whisky

Many of Arran’s whisky smugglers lived here in the southend of the island. They set up their stills in secluded spots near burns and lochs, or the sea caves near Kilmory.

Back then, they used 100% Arran bere barley. Bere is now considered a heritage grain and rarely used in modern farming. It’s a very hardy grain and was well suited to the west coast weather we have here on Arran. 

To malt the barley, distillers steeped it in ponds or streams, before germinating it out in the open air. Once germinated, they dried it using locally-cut peat in corn kilns, such as the one at the old Lagg Distillery. 

The process they used to create the wash was very similar to what we do now, but on a much smaller scale. They’d take the grist and tip it into a wooden tub, with water that was heated over a peat fire. They’d repeat this process with more clean water until they got the desired amount of wort. Instead of the high yield distiller’s yeast we use today, whisky smugglers would have used something called “barm”, which was the foam scooped from the top of the fermenting liquid. It fermented slowly for a couple of days, resulting in a thin, acidic wash that made Arran’s whisky superior in the eyes of many. 

The illicit stills (or sma’ stills, as they were called) were similar to what we use today, they were just smaller and more portable. In many cases, Arran’s whisky smugglers used copper stills, giving them an advantage over the Highland distillers who used tin stills. Tin was cheaper but emitted undesirable flavours into the whisky. Copper, on the other hand, enhanced it. 

Maturation wasn’t part of the whisky-making process until the 1820s. Before that, whisky came straight from the still. It was completely clear—hence the name, “Arran Water”. The closest thing we have to what whisky smugglers made back then is our New Make Peated Spirit Drink. 

How did Arran’s illicit distillers smuggle their whisky off the island?

Arranachs were no strangers to smuggling. By the 18th century, it was a practice very well established on the island. They smuggled everything from beer and bricks, to coffee and candles from passing ships nearby. But when legislation tightened, and taxes became more extreme, whisky became the contraband of choice. 

By horse and cart, smugglers would transport casks of their whisky from remote bothies to the secluded shores on the south of the island. From there, they’d load the casks into small boats called “wherries”. The wherry was a small primitive boat, often in poor condition from frequent use. 

Thanks to their local knowledge and nautical skill, the smugglers could navigate their way to the mainland in the dead of night, facing tempestuous weather and, of course, the ever-present threat of excisemen patrolling the Firth of Clyde. 

Their bravery didn’t go unnoticed. Local people revered the smugglers for their rebellion against authorities, who interfered with island traditions and stifled their opportunities to make a living.

Legislation: Scottish Parliament vs whisky smugglers

In Arran’s whisky community, the Scottish Parliament was seen as an outside interference. They started to heavily tax independent distillers, and even made it illegal to sell whisky from small stills. 

1644: The first excise act

Following England’s legislation from the previous year, the Scottish government imposed the first excise duty on “everie pynt of aquavytie or strong watteris sold within the country.” This was introduced to fund the Royalist army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. 

1707: The Board of Excise

The 1707 Act of Union between Scotland and England caused the government to tighten tax on spirits. This marriage between both parliaments led to the formation of the board of excise. Their job was to collect taxes from legal distilleries and crack down on illicit practices. 

1713: The English Malt Tax

England’s tax on malted barley came to Scotland in 1713. And since malted barley is a key component of making whisky, it didn’t exactly make things easy for distillers of the time. By 1725, this tax was raised further, resulting in civil unrest across the country. Eleven people lost their lives during the Shawfield Riots in Glasgow. 

1784: The Wash Act

The Wash Act aimed to combat rising levels of whisky smuggling in the Highlands, by reducing the level of duty they’d pay on making spirits.

They established a geographical “Highland line”, which separated the Highlands from the lowlands. Any distillery above the Highland line (including Orkney, Inverness, Argyll, Bute, Stirling, Perth and Aberdeen, amongst others) would now pay less tax on their spirit than their lowland counterparts. But there was a catch—stills with a capacity of less than forty gallons were now illegal. 

The act was successful in one respect, as many new legal distilleries opened in the Highlands. But it was not enough to change the minds of Arran’s whisky smugglers. 

1822: The Illicit Distillation Act

Seeing little change in whisky smuggling, the Scottish government cracked down even further in the 1800s. The Illicit Distillation Act charged anyone who was caught making, supplying or even drinking illegally-produced whisky. 

1823: The Excise Act

In an unexpected turn, the 1823 Excise Act reduced duty by over 50% on spirits. For registered distilleries, this was life changing. But again, there was a catch—it was now compulsory for every distillery to provide accommodation for a resident excise officer. 

What did excise officers do?

The excisemen were hired by the government to enforce the law and collect taxes from distillers. Needless to say, they were less-than-popular. Exisemen were also known as “gaugers” because their job was to gauge how much whisky was produced (and how much it was worth).

In 1823, when distilleries had to bring on resident excise officers, the role changed slightly. They were still seen as representatives of the government, but also, in a way, part of the distillery team. Excisemen accounted for every drop of whisky produced, and for many years, they were the only people who held the keys to the distillery’s spirit safe. 

The relationship between excisemen and whisky smugglers, however, was far from civil—it was more of a cat and mouse chase. Harsh words were exchanged, violence ensued and in some cases, people died. 

Who were Arran’s whisky smugglers?

Most of the illicit distillation was undertaken by the poorest islanders. Many believed they would be able to make more money from the grain they grew by distilling it into whisky. By and large, it was the women who distilled the whisky and the men who did the smuggling. 

Many illicit distillers kept their identities hidden (for obvious reasons), but with court documents and official records of the time, we do have the names of a few. 

The whisky killings

On the 25th of March 1817, William McKinnon and his son Donald sailed from the southend with casks of their illicit whisky. Not long after leaving the shore, some excisemen noticed them, and so, the duo turned back. 

On the beach, the officers surrounded them, but a group of local people came to William and Donald’s aid. As tensions heightened, the Arranach’s became more hostile. Sensing a loss of control, the excisemen fired nine shots into the crowd. William, Donald and a woman named Isobel Nicol tragically lost their lives that day. 

A near escape

One of these illicit distillers was a man called Daniel Cook who was a tenant on Bennecarrigan farm, which sits just behind our warehouses.

In 1807 he was transporting two casks of illicit whisky by horse and cart along the road towards Lagg. The exciseman, James McGregor, saw him and grew suspicious. Believing that Daniel was smuggling illegal whisky, he attempted to seize the cart and its contents. Daniel was not going to give up the casks without a fight, and threatened McGregor with a bludgeon before breaking his leg. 

Daniel fled to the hills, but was eventually caught and sent to court in Inveraray. In the eyes of James McGregor and his counsel, Daniel Cook’s arrest was certain. But much to their surprise, he went free. It was later discovered that the majority of the jury was made up of southend natives who knew Daniel as clients, neighbours and other illicit distillers. 

The still books

The majority of Arran’s whisky smugglers got their stills from one man: Robert Armour. Robert owned a coppersmith and plumbing business in Campbelltown (a front for his other, more lucrative business of making illicit distillation equipment). 

Decades later, long after whisky smuggling came to an end, renovations were taking place in the building that housed Robert Armour’s workshop. In the walls, builders found records of the people who bought his illicit stills—four jotters with their names, locations, orders and the amount they paid. If these records were found in the 1800s, it would have been a particularly lucrative day for the excisemen. 

Many of the people mentioned in these pages lived in the south of Arran. Like Robert Black in Corriecravie, Daniel Cook at Bennecarrigan, the McKinnon family at Sliddery, and John Cook of Margareoch. 

Bringing whisky back to Arran’s south

While our sister distillery, Lochranza, opened in the north of Arran for its water source, we found home in the southend for its history. The story of Arran’s whisky smugglers is one of strength and resilience, of fighting for what you believe in, regardless of the adversity you face. For us, every glass of Lagg sticks two fingers up to those who tried to stifle this important part of our island’s culture. We’re proud to continue the lineage of Arran whisky. 

“When you look at Arran’s history through a whisky lens, you learn so much about the people and the traditions that made this island. It’s great to see Lagg bringing whisky back to Arran’s southend—thankfully, smuggling is no longer necessary.” —Gregor Adamson, Author of "Arran Water".

Learn more about the history of Arran’s whisky smugglers in our our “Arran Water: Tours, Tales and Drams” experience.