‘Whisky Galore!’ bottle bought by maritime museum

A BOTTLE of Scotch salvaged from the ship that inspired Whisky Galore! has been bought by the Scottish Maritime Museum.

The unlabeled bottle of blended whisky was salvaged from the SS Politician, which ran aground off the Isle of Eriskay in 1941.

George Currie, a diver from Orkney, recovered the bottle from the wreck in June 1987.

Currie and his colleagues went looking for the wreck after completing a subsea cable repair between South Uist and Eriskay.

The whisky was bought at auction with help from National Museums Scotland’s National Fund for Acquisitions.

Abigail McIntyre, senior curator at the museum, said: “There are so many fascinating topics we can explore with our visitors through it, from island life during the war period and underwater archaeology and recovery through to challenging our understanding and portrayal of smuggling in Scottish waters.

“The wreck of the SS Politician had a profound effect on the life of the islanders of Eriskay, many of whom felt keenly the injustice of being prosecuted.

“As well as looking at the impact of the shipwreck generally, we will also explore maritime laws and their implications through this wonderful new artefact.”

Read more stories on Scottish Field’s whisky pages.