Archaeologists excavating at Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve in Scotland have uncovered evidence of illicit whisky production at a concealed stone bothy hidden in the hills.
The National Trust for Scotland’s archaeology team, working with volunteers, recovered part of a copper still during excavations near Lochan nan Cat on the upper reaches of the Lawers Burn.
The copper alloy fitting is believed to be a connecting section between parts of the still. In Gaelic, the piece is known as An Gearradan. Researchers linked it to an illustration in an early 20th-century Gaelic dictionary showing the labelled parts of a small whisky still, or A Phoit-dhubh.
Excavations also revealed several surviving features inside the structure. Archaeologists uncovered a hearth with traces of burning, a stone-lined drain beneath the floor and part of a timber roof support buried under collapsed masonry.
The site is one of five suspected illicit whisky bothies known at Ben Lawers, although this is the first where part of a copper still has been found.
Illegal distilling became widespread in the Highlands after taxes were imposed on whisky production during the 18th century. Rather than pay excise duties, many distillers moved operations into remote upland locations where they were harder to detect.
Derek Alexander, Head of Archaeology at the National Trust for Scotland, said the location had been carefully chosen.
“The bothy is hidden within a burn gully where bends in the stream help shield it from view,” he said. “The people working here knew how to avoid attention.”
Alexander said the surviving copper fitting may indicate the still was dismantled quickly before authorities reached the site.
“If excise officers discovered a still, it would normally be seized and destroyed,” he said. “The survival of this piece suggests most of the equipment was removed in a hurry and this part was left behind.”
Archaeologists say finds linked to illicit distilling are uncommon because sites were temporary and little material was usually abandoned.
The excavation forms part of The Pioneering Spirit project, supported by The Glenlivet, which investigates the history of illegal whisky production across landscapes cared for by the National Trust for Scotland.
Around 30 suspected distilling sites have already been identified through the project, including locations at Mar Lodge Estate, Torridon, Ben Lomond and Ben Lawers.
A complete copper still from Cortachy is currently displayed at the National Trust for Scotland’s House of Dun near Montrose. Unlike the Ben Lawers site, the Cortachy still appears to have been used inside a permanent structure rather than a remote bothy.
Sources : National Trust for Scotland
