King Charles III pays tribute to Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival as it celebrates 25th anniversary
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KING Charles III paid a touching tribute to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival as it celebrated its 25th anniversary.
More than 400 guests launched the six day festival on Wednesday night with the Touch of Tartan dinner at The Macallan distillery.
The king has just resumed royal duties following treatment for prostate cancer.
The Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire, Andrew Simpson, said the monarch was “very passionate” about the industry.
“His Majesty extends his heartfelt congratulations to all those gathered to celebrate this important milestone,” the letter from Buckingham Palace read.
“The King sends his warmest good wishes to you all for an enjoyable and successful evening.”
The monarch’s message would have resonated with Glenfarclas Distillery manager Callum Fraser (55) who was named International Ambassador and is going through his own journey with prostate cancer.
He did not expect to be fit enough to attend the dinner.
Mr Fraser said: “I have been off work for seven weeks. I have had it all removed and I am waiting to see if I still have cancer.
“They (colleagues) begged me to come here and now I realise why. I said I couldn’t go as I was off sick, but they told me ‘you’re the manager, you can go’.
“It was totally unexpected. I grew up in a wee village in Stirlingshire and worked my way up from being a mashman to being distillery manager at Glenfarclas over the last 34 years.
“That was a surprise and really humbling that people in the industry want to give you an award.
“It is a fantastic industry to be part of and it is so friendly.”
George McNeil, who steps down as chairman of the festival this year after three years at the helm, paid tribute to his executive team and the many volunteers.
The festival has continued to grow with 7,500 ticket sales from 62 event providers, generating £425,00 in revenue, which is a 20 per cent increase on 2023.
“It is great to see visitors come from 39 different countries, with the top four from Germany, the US, Netherlands and Canada,” he said.
EXCLUSIVE:video interview with George McNeil
He paid tribute to Ian Urquhart who “played a significant part in the development and evolution” of the whisky festival, who died earlier this year.
Celebrity chef Tony Singh attended the dinner, along with former Rangers footballer Lee McCulloch, and ex-Aberdeen Gothenburg great and former Rangers and Scotland manager Alex McLeish
Russell Anderson was named Unsung Hero.
“I was up here tonight to have a good time with my Macallan colleagues,” he said. “To be given an unsung hero for the 25 year anniversary of the whisky festival is amazing.
“I have been 37 years in the industry. I hadn’t a clue about this at all.”
He has worked at Glenrothes Distillery, Highland Park and two different spells at The Macallan.
He oversaw the build and commissioning of the new £140 million distillery on the Speyside estate, which opened in 2017.
“I never expected this, “ added Mr Anderson, who retired four weeks ago aged 60.
William ‘Buzz’ Hutcheson worked at Cardhu Distillery for 34 years and always took pleasure in sharing stories with visitors.
Mr Hutcheson, who got the nickname Buzz because of his speed as a teenage runner, said: “I am a bit embarrassed. I just love talking about whisky.
“I used to show the tourists round and give them extra insight about the distillery. They loved some of the stories you would never get from a normal guide.”
Derek Johnston won the lifetime achievement award.
He has spent most of his career with Speyside based Forsyths, first as a mechanical and process design engineer and from 2012 as engineering director.
One of the major projects Derek was involved in was the £140 million expansion of The Macallan Distillery.
Of his award, Derek said: “I wasn’t expecting that at all. They have been a brilliant firm to work for and are very much a family firm.
“They were a small firm when I arrived and they are a big firm now, but still very much a family firm.”
Rachel Walters, director of operations at The Macallan, said there is a “special camaraderie” in the whisky industry in Speyside, with a support network of colleagues all willing to help each other.
The Macallan is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year and Ms Walters said the brand saw real growth when the distillery opened its first visitor centre 25 years ago.
“What we know here in Speyside is that we have each other’s back and we look out for each other, and you can’t put a price on that.
“There is something about that camaraderie and support network which takes this amazing liquid and this phenomenal place and makes it fly, and takes it around the globe and brings tens of thousands of people to Speyside to celebrate what we have.”
Sarah Burgess, the current vice chairwoman of the festival, will take over from Mr McNeil for the 2025 version, making her the first female chairwoman in the history of the event.
The evening was also raising money for Highlands and Moray mental health and suicide prevention charity Mikeysline, with Edrington, owners of The Macallan, vowing to triple the amount raised on the night.
