Craig Matthews died suddenly and unexpectedly at home on Monday 20th February, he was 48 years old. Craig was born and brought up in the Shawlands area of Glasgow where he lived with his parents until he me met his wife Kate and moved to Islay in 1999.

He will be sorely missed by everyone at Bruichladdich, in particular his close colleagues in the bottling hall.

Craig was an instrumental part of the team. There is no doubt that his sudden passing has left a big hole, for he was one of life's bright lights, never phased, always lively, and the most helpful colleague one could wish for.

Craig was a star. Liked by everyone, he was respected for his work and humour - one of the sharpest wits I have ever known.

He had some difficult times lately, but he always managed to bounce back, stronger and more determined to move on, something that that those who knew him well could learn from. He deserves great respect for that.

We shall remember Craig every morning when the pop quiz comes on the bottling hall radio. Craig had an encyclopaedic knowledge of pop music, one the rest of us could never compete with.

His other passion in life was football, Glasgow Rangers in particular.

Craig was one of the good guys you meet in life, and I for one, was very proud to have known him.

His funeral will take place on Thursday 8th March at Linn Crematorium, South Glasgow.

Winston Churchill's detractors accuse him of having been an alcoholic. The evidence, however, contradicts that.

His daughter, Lady Soames, recalls that the "Papa Cocktail" was a smidgen of whisky covering the bottom of a tumbler, which was then filled with water and sipped throughout the morning. In his autobiography 'My Early Life', Churchill claimed he earned this habit as a young man in India and South Africa.  "The water being unfit to drink, one had to add whisky and, by dint of careful application I learned to like it."  Churchill remarked to those who took whisky neat, "you are not likely to live a long life if you drink it like that."

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Many visitors to Bruichladdich will have made the  acquaintance of the irrepressible and engaging Ruaraidh McLeod, one of life's great rascals and raconteurs -  a character larger than life itself - usually holding court in the distillery shop.

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Lord Astor's hunting lodge, at the head of West Loch Tarbert, has an interesting  map on the wall signed by the artist,  B. Hasler.

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Mr McEwan was still at Bowmore when he became the first 'living whisky hero' to be featured on the cover of Whisky Magazine. Since then this tireless individual has become a key member of the consortium that has resurrected Bruichladdich.

He won this category by an overwhelming majority. According to Charlie MacLean, Editor-at-Large: "Everywhere you go in the world they say 'Do you know James McEwan?' He is not only a wonderful ambassador for Scotch whisky, he should be given a medal by the Scottish Parliament for representing Scotland abroad."

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