Staff and customers at an Elgin whisky shop have raised a glass to mark 120 years of sharing the world’s best drams with the world.
The owners of Gordon and MacPhail celebrated in the South Street shop, which was founded in 1895 and is run by the fourth generation of the same family.
Guests were treated to tastings by suppliers from across Scotland with producers on-hand to share their knowledge about local beers, flavoured vodkas, chocolate and salmon.
Stephen Rankin, the company’s director and a member of the fourth-generation Urquhart family to own the business, said: “We’re still there, 120 years later.
“The company has grown and expanded but the shop at South Street remains the spiritual home of Gordon and MacPhail, and we were keen for our customers and suppliers to join in the celebrations.”
Gordon & MacPhail has grown into a world-leading malt whisky specialist.
John Urquhart, who joined Gordon and MacPhail as an apprentice in its early years, built up the whisky side of the business and eventually took over as senior partner and owner.
His family still own the business today and contributed to the celebrations.
On Saturday afternoon, Michael Urquhart, recently retired managing director of Gordon & MacPhail, treated his guests to a special tasting session which saw whiskies paired with chocolate from the Highland Chocolatier.
Guests were also given a “Spiritual Tour” of the shop premises by Ian Urquhart, the third generation of the family and a former managing director.
Following a tasting of old cask samples by Mr Rankin and Stuart Urquhart — also a fourth generation family member — guests toasted the future success of Gordon and MacPhail with a very special whisky – the Glenlivet 70 Years Old.
It is the joint-oldest Single Malt Scotch Whisky in the world.