And finally…Highland community to make whisky cask investment for every youngster

The Ardnamurchan Trust charity said casks are to be bought for children for them to sell when they turn 18.

The initiative will see the charity buy a cask of maturing spirit from the Ardnamurchan distillery for every resident aged between 10 and 17.

Once 18, the young people can sell the spirit back to the distillery or a bottling firm, potentially making more than £3,000, to fund further education or training.

It is thought that around 20 young people will benefit initially, with the casks expected to generate between £3,000-£6,000.

However, the programme has no end date and could potentially help hundreds as the years go by.

The Ardnamurchan peninsula has a widely dispersed population with its main communities such as Acharacle, Kilchoan and Strontianare each home to only a few hundred people.

The largest school, Ardnamurchan High, has a roll of just over 100 pupils.

Ardnamurchan Trust said it is working with the Ardnamurchan Distillery’s owner Adelphi, to help young people while at the same time boosting the local economy.

The casks of newly-made spirit to be owned by the local youngsters will remain at Ardnamurchan distillery as an investment and the profits made will depend on the market at the time the whisky was sold.

Alex Bruce, managing director of Adelphi, said: “It will benefit young people in the Ardnamurchan area, who will directly profit from the sale of their local whisky.

“In addition to supporting the next generation from an early age, it also gives us security of an established long-term employment pool in the area.”

The trust hopes the move will encourage diversification, promote collaboration and address rural depopulation.

A spokesman for the trust said: “With the ongoing support of the Scottish government and Scotland Food and Drink, we hope the scheme can be replicated through other community initiatives across the industry.”

The organisers of the initiative said it also had the support of Drinkaware.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing described the initiative as “innovative and thoughtful”.

He added: “It is particularly fitting that this is being launched during the Year of Young People and makes for a fine legacy from this year’s events and activities.

“Scotland’s whisky distilleries do much to support their local communities and economies, but equally those distilleries could not exist without the skills and expertise provided by people living in those communities.”

However, Alcohol Focus Scotland said it did not consider the scheme appropriate.

Chief executive Alison Douglas said: “Young people’s drinking behaviour is influenced by their exposure to alcohol marketing.

“This scheme goes beyond traditional marketing techniques by providing a direct financial benefit to young people from their association with the brand.”