Scottish community plans to sell whisky to help young people afford higher education

A community group in Scotland has invested in casks of whisky to gift to local teenagers when they turn 18 so they can sell it on to afford higher education.

The Ardnamurchan Trust — a charity in Scotland’s Highlands area — has said it will buy a cask of maturing Scotch from the Ardnamurchan Distillery on behalf of every local resident aged between 10 and 17 years old.

On their 18th birthday, they will have the option of selling the cask back to the distillery with the profits helping to finance their tertiary education or support their future training and careers.

The Ardamurchan Trust has worked in partnership with Alex Bruce, Managing Director of Adelphi, which owns the Ardnamurchan Distillery.

The initiative has received strong backing from Scottish institutions and charities, including Scotland Food and Drink, the Scottish Government, the Portman Group and Drink Aware.

The distillery said it will also help local teenagers gain access to employment by forging further links with the community and local businesses, as well as offering work experience and training throughout all aspects of the business.”

The organsiers of the scheme have said they hope it will encourage young people to stay in the Ardamurchan area, which will provide the distillery with the “security of an established long-term employment pool,” Bruce said.

Bruce added the distillery will invite young people to attend practical day courses at the distillery, giving them both operational and tourism experience, as well as at Adelphi’s main offices, where they will learn about the bottling and distribution side of the business, as well as receive sales, marketing and logistics experience.

“The Trustees are immensely grateful to Adelphi for making it possible for the young people of the area to be given the opportunity to learn about all the different aspects of one of Scotland’s most important manufacturing and exporting businesses,” a spokesperson for the Ardamurchan Trust said, “as well as the hope of realising a financial gain when the casks are sold to help in reducing the financial burden faced by young people entering further education.”

The news comes after a recent analysis of the UK’s export market found that the nation’s economy would be 3% worse off the Scotch industry were wiped out today.

James Withers, CEO at Scotland Food & Drink said: “Scotland is cementing its reputation at home and abroad as a land of food and drink. We have a great diversity of world-class products but we also want to be champions of responsible and sustainable practices.”

“Investment in the next generation is key to achieving that vision.”