On Arran Whisky: That Sinking Feeling

John Bruce recounts the fateful passage of the SS Politician – and what happened to its precious cargo

Puffers were small steam powered cargo ships with flat hulls which allowed them to beach on the sands of smaller Scottish destinations and deliver much needed cargo to small communities. Talking of small communities, I confess that I have constructed this meandering tale in order that I can recount a tale of my father’s about whisky drinking in the years immediately after the Second World War and through the 1950s, before the “never had it so good” years of Harold Macmillan. Supplies were scarce, licensing hours were tight and good quality whisky was in short supply. As working men, on the Isle of Arran, my father and fellows would have a few drinks on a Saturday afternoon. The problems they faced included the fact that there was only a limited amount of the good stuff and the bars closed between two-thirty and five in the afternoon.
To the Scottish aficionado of fine whisky, no problem is insurmountable and the men in question were good friends with the crew of the ferry to the mainland, which took about one hour each way, with a half hour for disembarkation and reloading and a bar that sold the “good stuff” when at sea. Therein lay the short term solution. Nothing moves too quickly in the islands, as the aforementioned films amply demonstrated, but in 1995 the long term solution was found with the opening of Arran Distillery in Lochranza. Still in its early years in whisky terms, the distillery has produced a number of single cask varieties and a very acceptable 10-year-old malt that is not as peaty as most island malts. Indeed, its initial taste is redolent of sweet fruit leading to a spicy warm finish. The character promises much for the more aged varieties that should soon be with us.
As a destination for the whisky appreciating golfer, which after all this is aimed at, Arran owns another fine distinction: it has the most golf courses per head of population anywhere in the world; seven within its 57-mile circumference. They vary in length and difficulty but as a reliable measure, if you can’t hit the green on the 120-yard par-3 1st at Corrie Golf Course, you’d be better to give up for the day and head to the bar. - J.B.

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