Private whisky collection raises over £8,000 at auction for the RNLI

The collection belonged to Robbie Gordon Munro, a Royal Naval Veteran from Contin who started collecting the bottles in 2009 after he and his brother went on the Malt Whisky Trail, buying a bottle at each distillery they visited. The collection grew and grew from there.

Before too long the collection was too big to keep in the house, it outgrew his dad’s storage at his shop. People started giving Robbie bottles of whisky as Christmas and birthday presents.

Robbie decided to donate proceeds of the sale to the RNLI at Kessock because of his connections with the sea, saying ‘RNLI volunteers are unsung heroes, giving up so much of their time. Often giving up your time as they do is more valuable than anything else. That’s why I decided to donate the proceeds of this sale to Kessock Lifeboat’

Recognising that the RNLI is a charity that receives no Government funding, auctioneer Grant MacPherson of Frasers Auction House significantly reduced their commission of the sale adding to the total raised by the whisky.

Dan Holland, a volunteer helmsman at Kessock said ‘When we heard about this auction we had no idea how much it might raise. But to raise over £8,000 is incredible. This will make a significant difference to helping save lives on the water around The Beauly and Moray Firths. As a crew, we’re very grateful to Robbie for this very generous donation’

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• Details for attached pictures.
1. Whisky collection – shows some of the lots during the auction. Credit: RNLI
2. Fundraisers: Fundraisers from the Inverness and North Kessock Branch of the RNLI at the sale. L to R. Fiona Jack, Jackie Heation, Chairman Alison Marr, Robbie Munro, his mother Nicola Munro and Margaret Thomson. Credit: RNLI

• The RNLI recently launched its biggest water safety campaign in its history. Respect The Water aims to reduce the number of coastal drowning’s around the UK and Ireland by 2014. Full information here: http://rnli.org/safety/respect-the-water/Pages/Safety.aspx

Media contacts:

Dan Holland, Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer, RNLI Kessock, 07900 567 496 [email protected]

Richard Smith, RNLI Public Relations Manager for Scotland, 01738 642956, 07786 668903, [email protected]

Henry Weaver, RNLI Press Officer for Scotland, 01738 642946, 07771 943026, [email protected]

RNLI 24 hour Press Office, 01202 336789

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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