Recently, whilst working at nature reserve in the central Highlands of Scotland, archaeologists and volunteers on the Pioneering Spirit Project unearthed evidence of an illicit whisky distillery dating back more than two centuries.
One of the greatest things about whisky is the fact that, not only is it a spirit that tastes truly fantastic in every way possible, but it’s also a spirit with a rich and storied history behind it, that can be traced back centuries.
When I come across a dram I particularly enjoy, I like to immerse myself in its history. I like to know which region it’s from, which distillery was responsible for creating such a dram, which cask/casks were used, and anything else I find useful or interesting about it. Basically, the more I know about it, the more I seem to enjoy it.
Scotch, as we know, has quite the backstory, particularly when it comes to taxation. While increases in rates and duties in the distilling industry in Scotland was nothing new, it wasn’t until the late 1700s that distilleries really began to struggle. This would, in effect, lead to an enormous increase in illegal distillation across much of Scotland. A recent find in Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve, however, could indicate that the site was once home to an illegal distillery.
The Pioneering Spirit Project
Back in 2020, the National Trust for Scotland and Speyside malt whisky juggernaut The Glenlivet, formed a unique and ambitious partnership which they called the Pioneering Spirit Project.
The aim of this nationwide project is to delve deep into Scotland’s history of illicit whisky distilling to learn as much about the practice, the drink itself, and how it shaped the nation. Ultimately, it’s about discovering the true origins of Scotland’s national drink, including learning more about those responsible for producing it illegally, and those who sought to bring its illicit production to an abrupt halt.
The project itself has been hugely successful, and it is one I’ve had my eyes on for some time. Thus far, they’ve identified more than 30 sites across Scotland that were once home to illegal whisky distilling and smuggling outfits, and they, like me, are confident there are plenty more to be discovered.
As part of their ongoing efforts, the archaeologists and volunteers working on the project have made some truly fascinating finds and have unearthed a variety of whisky-related artefacts, including a padlock used by a dreaded exciseman.
Recently, however, while working at a site in the Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve, the team unearthed what they believe to be a part of an illicit whisky distillery dating back more than 200 years. This find, it turns out, could be very important, as it provides strong evidence that the site was once home to an illegal whisky distillation operation.
To me, this helps solidify the fact that forming this ambitious new project was the right thing to do, not only for the whisky industry, but for Scotland as a whole.
A Monumental Find
In early May 2026, archaeologists and volunteers in Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve unearthed what they believe to be a part of an illicit distillery operation dating back more than 200 years.
The team had recently identified a stone structure, which they highly suspected could have once been home to an illegal whisky distillery. The stone structure, known as a ‘bothy’ had the tell-tale signs of an illicit distillery. It was located by a stream known as Lawers Burn, and featured a hearth for warmth, a drain located beneath a stone floor for drainage, and even a timber-framed roof to provide shelter from the elements. It was a small piece of copper alloy, however, that really got the team excited.
While the bothy itself was a very interesting find, bothies across Scotland were fairly common and were primarily used to provide shelter for gamekeepers, shepherds, farmers, and estate workers. Today, bothies are fairly common out in isolated rural landscapes like moors and woodland, and are used to provide shelter for hikers, climbers, campers, and people in need of shelter. A bothy by itself does not indicate that illegal whisky production once took place here.
The reason this particular piece of copper alloy in this bothy got the team so excited was largely that it was believed to be a connecting collar used to connect two parts of a still. In Gaelic, it is known as An Gearradan, and is a connecting piece between the head of the still and the lyne arm. While five bothies used for distilling whisky illegally had been identified on the reserve, this was the first site where an apparent piece of copper distilling equipment had been located at the same time in the same place.
The Golden Age of Whisky Smuggling
Although illegal whisky distilling was fairly common in the 1700s, it wasn’t until the Excise Act of 1788 that illegal distilling really took off. This act banned the use of small household stills completely and severely restricted the exports of Scotch whisky to England.
Scottish distillers exporting their whisky to England were hit with heavy duties and stricter rules to abide by. Many of Scotland’s major distilleries went bust or were nearly bankrupted. It was devastating to the industry and nearly brought it to an end completely. To get around this, many producers went off grid and began distilling whisky illegally. This ushered in what is known as the ‘golden age’ of whisky smuggling.
Now, rather than paying extortionate amounts of tax, and various other fees and penalties, distillers instead went underground, both figuratively and sometimes literally as well. Distillers would choose rural and isolated locations like rugged coastline, highland glens, and barren moorland in close proximity to a water source for their illicit distilleries.
Ben Lawers was an ideal spot as it had flowing water, it was isolated, and it was open so excisemen could be spotted well in advance, giving the illicit distillers plenty of time to dismantle their setups and do a runner before the long arm of the law could catch up with them. It’s likely that this particular piece of copper was left behind by accident when an illicit whisky smuggler spotted the authorities and had to dismantle their distillery setup in a hurry.
It may not seem it, but this single piece of copper, and others like it over the years, can help us to get a clearer understanding of how, and why, illegal whisky distilling was such a common practice across Scotland for more than half a century. This is why projects such as the Pioneering Spirit Project are so important not only for our beloved whisky, but for history as a whole.
Read the full article at Illicit Distillery More than 200 Years Old Recently Unearthed in Scotland
