ICONIC actor Ewan McGregor’s whisky from his own personal cask gifted to him by a Scottish island distillery has fetched a huge sum of money for a children’s charity which is “very close” to his heart.
Lochranza Distillery, on the Isle of Arran, gifted the Scottish actor a cask of Arran Single Malt in 1998, marking the first legal cask to be laid down on the island for more than 150 years.
The whisky from the ex-sherry hogshead casks was split between 150 bottles and sold off to help raise £135,000 for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) over the last few weeks.
A total of 543 bidders from 28 countries placed more than 7000 bids on the exclusive “Ewan’s Cut” to help raise vital funds for children with life-limiting conditions and their families for the charity.
McGregor (below), who has supported CHAS throughout his acting career, has thanked everyone involved with the fundraiser and is “proud” of the amount raised for the charity.
He said: “What a total! I just want to thank each and every one of our partners for putting the time, effort and work into this endeavour.
“CHAS has always been very close to my heart, and I am so proud that we were all able to raise such a sum for them. I know it's the children they help and their families who will benefit a lot from this - so thank you very much to everyone involved and to those that placed generous bids in the auction.”
The online auction platform, Whisky Auctioneer, oversaw the sale of the limited-edition bottles and waived their seller’s commission so all the proceeds went to CHAS.
The auction ran from September 27 to October 7 with the first 24 bottles sold signed by McGregor.
The first bottle of “Ewan’s Cut” reached a total of £4350, setting a new record for the highest price ever paid for a bottle of Arran single malt at auction.
The whisky is one of the oldest produced by Lochranza Distillery with each one featuring a specially designed label featuring references from some of the actor's best known films like Trainspotting and Star Wars.
Rami Okasha, CEO at CHAS, said the money raised from the auction will help keep the “joy alive even in the face of death”.
He said: “We are very grateful to Ewan McGregor, a long-standing supporter and friend of CHAS, for kindly choosing to donate all the proceeds from this special auction to CHAS so we can continue to support children with life-shortening conditions and their families, bringing us closer to our founding mission of reaching every child and family that needs our help.
“A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in this exciting auction that enabled so much to be raised for CHAS. I would also like to express our sincere thanks to Isle of Arran Distillers, to Whisky Auctioneer and to the Leith Agency.
“Three children die each week in Scotland from an incurable condition. We can only be there for families with the support of kind donations like this. CHAS provides unwavering care to children who may die young and their families, at every step on this hardest of journeys.
“Proceeds received from this auction make a huge difference to children and families helping us to reach every family across Scotland who needs our help and to keep the joy alive even in the face of death.”
Euan Mitchell, managing director at Isle of Arran Distillers, said it was a privilege to be a part of the charity auction and is deeply grateful for the generosity shown by all those who took part.
He said: “We are absolutely delighted that the auction of “Ewan’s Cut” has successfully raised an incredible £135k for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS).
“This project has been a journey close to our hearts since Ewan McGregor first joined us at Lochranza Distillery back in 1998. To see his private cask of Arran Single Malt contribute to such a worthy cause is truly special.
“It has been a privilege to collaborate with Ewan, Whisky Auctioneer, and the Leith Agency to bring this unique whisky to life, and we are deeply grateful for the support and generosity from everyone involved.
“The funds raised will make a significant difference in supporting the vital work of CHAS, helping families during their most challenging times.”
