The Lands of Skene
SKENE is situated about 6 miles west of the city of Aberdeen. In legend, it is written that the younger son of the Robertson Chief of Struan saved the life of the King from a savage wolf using only his sgian-dubh. The King gifted him with land in Aberdeenshire which he named Sgian or Skene, in honour of the weapon.
The location of Skene, a small rural community, played an important part in the evolution of Scotch whisky from a locally distilled spirit into the international drink it is today.
The Gauger of Skene
Since the 17th century, the government imposed taxes on the production of whisky. These duties were often extremely high and forced many distillers to operate outside the law. As a result, illicit distilling flourished across the Highlands. Illicit distilling was widespread across the north-east Highlands. In areas such as Glenlivet & Strathdon, hundreds of hidden stills are believed to have been operating at the height of the trade.
It was in these Highland glens that the character of the spirit was refined, and the whisky produced there soon gained a reputation for quality. Demand spread beyond the Highlands to the Lowlands of Scotland, to England, and eventually much further afield.
The historic “drove roads” that were used by drovers to drive their cattle from the Highlands to the market towns were perfect for whisky smugglers transporting casks on ponies across the hills to markets and ports were the whisky could be sold to merchants.
Gaugers, as the excisemen were known in Scotland had been active in Scotland since the 1600s. One of the most famous of them was Malcolm Gillespie known as “The Gauger of Skene”.
Gillespie was revenue officer at Collieston in Aberdeenshire prior to transferring to the port of Stonehaven in 1807, and then to the Skene Ride on Deeside in 1812, a route well known by the smugglers to get whisky into the port of Aberdeen. He was fearless and relentless in his pursuit of these whisky smugglers, he bore the scars of no less than 42 wounds sustained in the course of duty.
Gillespie for some reason got involved in forgery and was arrested at Crombie Cottage in Skene in 1827. He was tried and found guilty with the punishment being hanging. He was hung on 16th November 1827 in Aberdeen.
From the book “A Report of the Trial of Malcolm Gillespie and George Skene Edwards” published in 1827, there are many stories of the battles Gillespie had with the whisky smugglers on “The Skene Ride” as well as a compilation of government records listing the amount of whisky and illicit stills found in Skene. An example being from one record while stationed at Skene, Gillespie seized: 92 Horses, 33 carts, 330 stills, 500 gallons of aqua (whisky) and 60,000 gallons of wash!
The Excise Act and demise of the Whisky Smuggler
In 1823, the government introduced “The Excise Act” which reduced the duty on whisky, lowered the cost of distilling licence and encouraging illicit distiller to become legal – almost overnight, many former smugglers and illicit distillers became legitimate whisky makers.
The Excise Act therefore marks the moment when whisky began its transition from a smuggled Highland spirit into a regulated industry — laying the foundations for the Scotch whisky world we know today.
Skene Dhu Whisky Brand
The whisky heritage of Skene was not forgotten and the famous Scotch Whisky Merchant, Alex Ferguson & Co, Glasgow was selling his “Skene Dhu” in the 1890s, finally trademarking the brand in 1905 with a label portraying the famous Skene Dhu and a wolf head seal. This is the brand we continue today.
