Deep in the rugged landscape of Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve, archaeologists uncovered rare proof of Scotland's secretive whisky trade from the 19th century. They found an ‘An Gearradan,’ a copper alloy collar, which connected a still to its cooling equipment. Copper cost a lot back then, so finding this piece left behind at an isolated bothy hints at a dramatic escape by illegal distillers who likely rushed away to dodge oncoming excise officers. This artefact offers a direct connection to the ongoing chase between Highland smugglers and government tax collectors. It sheds new light on the sophisticated underground economy that thrived in the Scottish Highlands during the industrial age. Such a discovery vividly captures the tension of Highland history, immortalising the clandestine ingenuity and desperate risks of Scotland’s early distillers.
