Historically, whisky distillation in Scotland goes back to 1494, as mentioned in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls as “eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aquavitae.”
In that mentioning, aquavitae is a latin term meaning “water of life.”
And since this historic document was created, distilleries have come and gone, and endured throughout Scotland’s history. Today, more than 140 distilleries dot the Scottish landscape, some of which are shown in a newly-recreated, digitally restored map of Argyllshire.
Historic Scottish distillery maps from around 1832 have been digitally recreated to create high-quality framed prints. (image via Mark Littler Ltd)
The map was originally made in 1832.
A recent statement from Mark Littler Ltd explains that the new maps are reproduced from the Atlas of Scotland maps, published in 1832 by cartographer, publisher, and bookbinder John Thomson.
The maps were originally hand drawn by William Johnson and engraved by John & George Menzies.
On the maps, you can find landmarks such as the Isle of Mull, Islay, and Campbeltown.
Overlaid onto the maps are icons representing the currently active distilleries in Argyllshire, including Lagavulin, Bowmore, Oban, Laphroaig, Bruichladdich, Kilchoman, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain, Lagg, Ncn’ean, Jura, Ardnamurchan, Port Ellen, Lochranza, Lagg, Springbank, Glen Scotia, Glengyle, and Ardbeg.
In the bottom left of the map, a street view of Campbeltown can be seen. Campbeltown was once the whisky capital of the world, with more than 30 operational distilleries. However, many of these distilleries went by the wayside. Today, only three remain: Springbank, Glengyle, and Glen Scotia.
Today, these historic map prints are recreated in Lancashire, England, printed with fine-art Giclee techniques, mounted on an acid-free backing board, and presented in solid wood frames.
The prints are available in three sizes at three different price points:
- A1 – £270
- A2 – £157
- A3 – £97
Mark Littler is an independent whisky broker, market analyst and consultant that publishes videos on a YouTube channel about topics such as cask investment fraud, the history of distilleries and bottles, debunking whisky investment myths, and more.
For more information or to get a map, check out www.shop.marklittler.com/products/maps.
