'Arran Water' by Gregor Adamson

'Arran Water', the term for whisky distiller illicitly on the Isle of Arran, was revered for its quality throughout Scotland during the heydays of smuggling in the late 18th and 19th centuries. 

In Arran Water Gregor Adamson provides a comprehensive, first-hand account of distilling on the island, from the emergence of clandestine manufacture to the construction of the present-day distilleries at Lochranza in 1995 and Lagg in 2018 by Isle of Arran Distilers. He also dispels the myths, hearsay and folktales that have distorted Arran's distilling story and provides a clear narrative which highlights the key role that illicit whisky production and smuggling played in the island's economic, social and cultural development. 

Using a vast array of original sources, he outlines the manufacture, transportation and consumption of sma' still whisky, unearths the secrets of the hidden bothies of the Arran hills and glens, and describes the bloody battles fought between island smugglers and the Excise gaugers. 

Illustrated with archival and contemporary images, it is a capitvating insight into the island and its people, making it essential reading for lovers of Arran and whisky enthusiasts alike.