Scotch Missed: The Lost Distilleries of Scotland

by Brian Townsend

Book by Townsend, Brian

Genres: History, Food and Drink, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 1993

Reviews

[Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't rush to buy it !!!

[Len · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not one more eulogy on the glories of whisky and whisky drinking, rather it is more an exercise in industrial history or archaeology. A little encyclopedia of Scotland's distilleries that ceased production in the twentieth century, arranged clockwise by region running from the north round to Campbeltown and the Western Isles.

I had a copy of the 2000 paperback edition published by The Angels' Share. Its only downside was the poor reproduction of the many historically interesting photographs. The appearance was as if the whole of Scotland was permanently shrouded in mist. The book itself was very well written, especially the introductory chapters giving an overview of the subject. However, in keeping with an encyclopedic format, when it came to discussing each separate distillery it read as if the author was copying out answers from a set questionnaire. Each began with a paragraph describing the location, the owners and their dates of ownership and the company's names. This was followed by details of the water sources, the distillery's buildings, mash tuns, washbacks, wash stills and spirit stills, the production capacity and the number of employees. All very satisfactory to the more nerdish among us but a little more variation would have been welcome and made a more satisfying read.

As I said this is not a book about whisky it is about Scotland's whisky production in its days as an established business rather than as an amateur endeavour of farmyards and illicit stills fighting the excisemen. Its booms and slumps and the often devastating effects on local communities and employment are explained in sufficient detail to show that it was never the carefree community of Compton Mackenzie's Whisky Galore, there was always a human side to be considered.

The book could have been expanded - on quite a few occasions the author mentions in passing that many distilleries have archives or local historical records that have survived. However, the format is always adhered to and the author leaves it there. One has to be interested in industrial history, or Scotland, or the mechanics rather than the drinking of whisky to get the best out of it, but it remains worth reading.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soooo much scotch I'll never be able to taste...*sob* Fantastic read all the same!