Whisky Wars, Riots and Murder | Malcolm Archibald

Whisky Wars, Riots and Murder in the 19th Century Highlands and Islands by Malcolm Archibald reveals a darker side of Scotland often hidden behind romantic images of tartan, glens, great estates and dramatic landscapes.

The book takes readers into the Highlands and Islands of the 19th century, a time when life was hard and the line between survival, resistance and crime could be thin. The glens and moors were home to poachers and whisky smugglers, while towns and villages were often close to riot and disorder.

Archibald looks not only at whisky-related crime, but also at wider social unrest. The book includes a coastal town where riots were endemic, an island shaken by a triple murder, a mob besieging Dornoch Jail and religious troubles on the Black Isle.

Smaller but revealing stories also appear, including thieves, assaults, crimes targeting tourist hotels and an exciseman hanged for forgery. Together, these episodes create a vivid picture of a region where law and order were constantly under pressure.

Whisky Wars is not a tasting guide, but a gripping historical whisky book for readers interested in illicit distilling, whisky smuggling, Highland crime, social history and the rough past behind Scotland’s iconic whisky landscape.

Book Details
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Edition: 2nd edition
Pages: 288
Author: Malcolm Archibald
ISBN / barcode: 9781785302398
Weight: 0.3 kg
Subject: whisky smuggling, Highlands and Islands, 19th-century Scotland, crime history, riots, murder, excisemen