We were delighted to host students from the 'Lycée Jules-Ferry', a public
secondary and higher education school located in the 9th arrondissement of
Paris today. Bruichladdich Master Distiller Jim McEwan enjoyed a lively
session with the young academics during which he was asked a wide range of
questions about how distilling impacts on life on Islay including: what are
the benefits that the distilleries bring to the island? What is their
impact on the local economy? What opportunities do the distilleries offer
young people who wish to stay and work here?

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Television production company MacTV visited Bruichladdich this week to shoot some sequences for a programme about the David MacBrayne freight boats that served the Western Isles, including Islay, prior to the advent of the Ro-Ro ferries that we have become familiar with today.  The programme is to be presented by Professor Donald Meek, who is acknowledged as perhaps the world’s leading authority on the history of Scotland’s iconic ferry company.

The show will also feature Peggy MacEachern, who was born and brought up in Bruichladdich and worked for a number of years as a clerk in the office at Bruichladdich Pier.  The Gaelic language programme, which only has a working title at present, is expected to be aired in the Autumn on BBC Alba.  The small freighters that called at the pier back then had names such as Loch Broom, Loch Ard, Loch Dunvegan and Loch Carron.  They were an essential part of the social and economic life of the islands back then – and vital for the maintenance and supply of Islay’s whisky industry.

David Ferguson is over in the USA at the moment and has been visiting the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington DC where they have a remarkable selection of 1400 bottles of Scotch whiskies, bourbons & spirits including a truly impressive range of Bruichladdich single malt.

David met up with whisky connoisseur and Jack Rose benefactor Harvey Fry who donated some 500 bottles of malt to the new venture, which opened up on 18th St just ten months ago.

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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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Jim McEwan was honoured with the title ‘Personality of the Year’ by Whisky Magazine – a fitting award with which to celebrate his 40^th year in the business and the global  ambassadorial role he has taken on for Single Malt Scotch, for Islay Malts in general and specifically for Bruichladdich.

Well done Jim!

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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