Gaugers were the hated excisemen who hounded whisky smugglers in the 18th and early 19th century. And Malcolm Gillespie was one of the most wretched and tragic of all. Ian R Mitchell tells his story
The exciseman, or gauger as he was known in the Scots vernacular, was probably the most hated figure in Scotland 200 years ago. This dislike was given a humorous slant in our national bard Robert Burns’ poem, The Exciseman. Here the despised figure is carried off to Hell by the Devil (Auld Mahoun), ...
Whisky history
from Issue 56 published on 01/06/2006
Ian R Mitchell tells the story of the Macraes of Monar, illicit whisky distillers
Though doubtless the odd small scale still might yet be found in remote areas of the West Highlands, the last illicit distiller on a scale large enough to provide his main income must have been Hamish Dhubh Macrae of Monar, who retired from his calling a century ago.
He and his father had outwitted...
Whisky History
from Issue 49 published on 15/07/2005
