Charity founded by whisky writer Charlie Maclean helps bring clean water to nearly 2,000 after first year

A fledgling Scottish charity founded by iconic whisky writer Charlie Maclean has provided clean water for life to 1,847 Madagascans after just a year. 

The Maclean Foundation (TMF) was founded in August last year by Lachlan, Ewan, and Jamie Maclean, and their father, Charlie.

In its first year of operation, the charity has raised funds to build six clean water boreholes in Madagascar, where almost 70% of people live in poverty, through ‘whisky and adventure.’

These boreholes have provided a lifetime supply of clean water to almost 2,000 people in the region, primarily school children. 

Before the charity launched, the Maclean brothers, who are from Edinburgh, became the first brothers to row any ocean, and the youngest and fastest trio to row across the Atlantic Ocean in January 2020.  

Through that adventure, the brothers raised more than £100,000 for trusted partner Feedback Madagascar, helping to build 11 boreholes in Madagascar. 

Lachlan, Ewan, Charlie and Jamie Maclean.

This means in total the Macleans have funded 17 bore holes,  providing clean water to life for more than 4,800 people, primarily serving primary schools – and a seventh bore hole built this month will bring that total well over 5,000.

TMF’s first charity whisky, an Ardnamurchan 2017 aged in American oak first-fill barrels and selected by Charlie, sold out in six weeks and provided 700 people with clean water for life. 

Meanwhile, the brothers helped the charity get off to a flying start through a lengthy cross-country row, run and cycle between 120 malt whisky distilleries around Scotland.

Now, the trio are set to break more world records and break ground on more bore holes through the Rare Whisky 101 Pacific Row, as they aim to become the first team to row non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific Ocean. 

Jamie in Madagascar.

In doing so, they hope to further their impact by raising more than £1millio for charity, which would lift tens of thousands of people out of water poverty. And they’ll do it all in a fibreglass boat they’ve helped to build themselves.

An eye-opening trip to the African island nation in spring 2023 was when plans for TMF began to take shape. 

Youngest brother, 26-year-old Lachlan has moved from Glasgow to the seaside hamlet of Nedd in the North of Scotland to train for the row with his brother Jamie.

‘In Madagascar, we had not only seen but experienced the horrible impact waterborne diseases can have,’ he said.  

‘There is no reason why some people are born with access to clean water, and others aren’t.  

‘The more we talked and reflected on our own privilege and the stark contrast between life growing up in Scotland and a childhood in Madagascar, the more we realised this was what we had to do. 

The brothers training while in Madagascar.

‘It costs £6,000 to build and maintain a clean water borehole that can serve 200 people for up to 100 years. Since 2009, our partner Feedback Madagascar has drilled and installed over 300 boreholes in the region – through our work, we’ll continue to add to that total.’

While the boys focus on the fastest human-powered crossing of the full Pacific – a 14,000km journey from Lima in Peru to Sydney in Australia – Edinburgh-based Charlie is focused on more charity whisky launches, which will take place throughout the next 12 months. 

Read more Whisky news here.

Subscribe to read the latest issue of Scottish Field.