Sale of rare bottle of whisky raises £1053 for Thurso RNLI
A group of shareholders unanimously agreed to donate the proceeds from the sale of a bottle of rare Wolburn Whisky as a thank you to the RNLI Lifeboat Station in Thurso, where, as they said, ‘Volunteers risk their own lives to save people in distress at sea’.
Eight Whisky enthusiasts who bought a cask from Wolfburn Distilary in Thurso in 2013 decided to donate the outcome of the auction to an organisation local to Thurso. In consultation with the founders and staff of Wolburn the RNLI Lifeboat Station in Thurso was chosen.
Supported by the auction platform www.whiskyauction.com a bottle of a privately owned Wolfburn Quarter Cask was put up for auction on 6 February. The 120 litre refill Bourbon Quarter Cask with the number 176, was filled in 2013 and was bottled at the end of 2020. Therefore it is one of the oldest Wolfburn expressions currently available.
Before the auction Michael Martin and Markus Knigge, two of the shareholders, said, ‘We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Wolfburn staff and hope that we will achieve a high price at the auction. Whiskyauction.com also supports the campaign with an additional donation. It is a good opportunity for Wolfburn fans to get a rare bottle of single cask / cask strength Wolfburn and support the brave people from RNLI who risk their lives at sea’
The bottle achieved 220 EUR (£190) and when Whiskyauction.com heard about the RNLI donation they added 1000 EUR making a total of 1220 EUR (£1053)
Thurso RNLI Press officer Ron Gunn said ‘RNLI is a charity that depends on donations. We are always extremely grateful for any donations and they can come from a variety of contributors. I think this is the first time we have received a donation via the sale of a bottle of rare whisky from our local Wolfburn distillery. The Thurso RNLI volunteer crew would like to thank everyone concerned for this kind donation’
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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