Lovers of all things maritime have a treat in store in 2009. Old Pulteney - distiller of fine single malt whisky - is hosting a series of free talks in association with the Telegraph, given by some of the most inspirational maritime adventurers and explorers of our time. Stories of the Sea will take place at venues around the country and at each one an intimate gathering of 100-150 attendees will hear real-life tales of experiences on the high seas, ranging from the daring and heroic to the wacky and idiosyncratic. Ticket allocation will be by prize draw one month before each talk (with the exception of the first talk for which tickets will be allocated on December 31), and all you need to do for a chance to win two tickets is enter the draw at telegraph.co.uk/partnerships. The series began with a talk from Jasper Shackleton - a relative of the Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton - who recounted his re-enactment of the extraordinary 3,600-mile journey that Lieutenant William Bligh survived in an open boat, when he was cast adrift by Fletcher Christian from his ship The Bounty in 1789.
Meanwhile, ex-SAS soldier Tom McClean inspired would-be sailors with tales of maritime challenges, including his world record for rowing 2,000 miles across the Atlantic solo.
In March, Mark Horton, a presenter on BBC’s Coast and a keen sailor, will talk about how the television programme was set up, the amazing discoveries they made and his interest in maritime archaeology.
Another SAS veteran, United States Navy SEAL-trained Martyn Helliwell is a professional survival expert. His talk in May will cover his time in the SAS and extreme climatic survival experiences.
Wildlife specialist and TV presenter Chris Packham has travelled widely and studied many deep-ocean habitats. He will look at the range of fascinating creatures in the sea, while dashing Spanish aristocrat Alvaro de Marichalar will describe the trials of crossing the Atlantic in a twin-engined jet ski.
After each talk there will be a tasting of Old Pulteney single malts, which come from a distillery with a heritage inextricably bound up with the sea. Its 12-, 17- and 21-year-old whiskies owe much of their complexity to the use of traditional distillation methods and local sea air.
Situated in windswept Wick in Caithness, Old Pulteney is the most northerly whisky distillery in mainland Scotland and one of the oldest in the country. Its long history mirrors the fortunes of its home town. Founded in 1826, the distillery takes its name from Sir William Johnstone Pulteney, who, in the era before roads, commissioned the new harbour, creating opportunities for the subsequent herring boom, and providing the means for barley to be shipped to the distillery - and whisky to be shipped out. Soon Wick became synonymous with its barrels of “silver” and “gold” (herring and whisky).
By the mid-1850s Wick was the busiest fishing port in northern Europe with up to 7,000 workers arriving each season to work at both the fisheries and distillery. Eventually, the herring boom ended, and the First World War and Prohibition era changed the social fabric of the area. However, with the repeal of Prohibition in 1947, the distillery’s fortunes revived.
Today the distillery’s owners remain true to Old Pulteney’s origins. Whisky continues to made in Wick, using a unique flat-topped still, and the spirit is condensed in worm tubs before being aged in oak casks, ensuring its taste is of the same quality as when the distillery was founded.
• If you are interested in attending one of these free talks and Old Pulteney whisky tastings, simply click here to log on and register for tickets. TheTamshee says: Many moons ago, when I worked on the survey ships chartered by British Geological Survey - we used Scrabster Harbour as a port of call on many occassions. Visits to the Old Pulteney distillery at Wick to sample a top quaulity single malt was indeed a treat. If you are partial to a dram and the wildness of the Highlands then get yourself travelling up the A9 to all things spectacular, views included for free.
Meanwhile, ex-SAS soldier Tom McClean inspired would-be sailors with tales of maritime challenges, including his world record for rowing 2,000 miles across the Atlantic solo.
In March, Mark Horton, a presenter on BBC’s Coast and a keen sailor, will talk about how the television programme was set up, the amazing discoveries they made and his interest in maritime archaeology.
Another SAS veteran, United States Navy SEAL-trained Martyn Helliwell is a professional survival expert. His talk in May will cover his time in the SAS and extreme climatic survival experiences.
Wildlife specialist and TV presenter Chris Packham has travelled widely and studied many deep-ocean habitats. He will look at the range of fascinating creatures in the sea, while dashing Spanish aristocrat Alvaro de Marichalar will describe the trials of crossing the Atlantic in a twin-engined jet ski.
After each talk there will be a tasting of Old Pulteney single malts, which come from a distillery with a heritage inextricably bound up with the sea. Its 12-, 17- and 21-year-old whiskies owe much of their complexity to the use of traditional distillation methods and local sea air.
Situated in windswept Wick in Caithness, Old Pulteney is the most northerly whisky distillery in mainland Scotland and one of the oldest in the country. Its long history mirrors the fortunes of its home town. Founded in 1826, the distillery takes its name from Sir William Johnstone Pulteney, who, in the era before roads, commissioned the new harbour, creating opportunities for the subsequent herring boom, and providing the means for barley to be shipped to the distillery - and whisky to be shipped out. Soon Wick became synonymous with its barrels of “silver” and “gold” (herring and whisky).
By the mid-1850s Wick was the busiest fishing port in northern Europe with up to 7,000 workers arriving each season to work at both the fisheries and distillery. Eventually, the herring boom ended, and the First World War and Prohibition era changed the social fabric of the area. However, with the repeal of Prohibition in 1947, the distillery’s fortunes revived.
Today the distillery’s owners remain true to Old Pulteney’s origins. Whisky continues to made in Wick, using a unique flat-topped still, and the spirit is condensed in worm tubs before being aged in oak casks, ensuring its taste is of the same quality as when the distillery was founded.
• If you are interested in attending one of these free talks and Old Pulteney whisky tastings, simply click here to log on and register for tickets. TheTamshee says: Many moons ago, when I worked on the survey ships chartered by British Geological Survey - we used Scrabster Harbour as a port of call on many occassions. Visits to the Old Pulteney distillery at Wick to sample a top quaulity single malt was indeed a treat. If you are partial to a dram and the wildness of the Highlands then get yourself travelling up the A9 to all things spectacular, views included for free.
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