A bottle of whisky recovered from the wreck of SS politician off Eriskay is expected to reach up to £1,500 at auction this week. The event inspired the novel and subsequent film Whisky Galore.
The whisky and some empty bottles were recovered by renowned diver Reg Vallintine in 1966.
Reg Vallintine, joined a group of Hebridean divers to explore the site on the 25th anniversary of the sinking.
Finding the whisky was surprisingly easy -
Over time he gave them all away but kept these ones on display in his study.
The haul is offered for sale at Charles Miller’s specialist auction house in London, the UK’s only auctioneers of maritime, nautical and scientific antiques.
Maritime specialist Charles Miller said: “Reg mentioned that he did open a bottle, but it tasted of rotten eggs which was likely to be caused by the reaction of the cork with the whisky and the seawater.”
He added: “It is unusual to sell lots recovered from this wreck where the complete provenance is known and the details of by whom and when exactly items were recovered makes these bottles even more interesting.”
Charles Miller's online auction on Tuesday will include a bottle of whisky recovered from the wreck.
In addition, two empty whisky bottles carry an estimate of £600.
SS Politician was carrying a mixed cargo of goods to Jamaica including 264,000 bottles of whisky.
Also on board were pianos, motor parts, bedding, machetes and baths.
The ship ran aground at Calvay, off Eriskay, on 5th February of that year. Luckily the crew were rescued unharmed; and so, over the next few weeks, was the whisky.
“Whisky Galore” bottles salvaged off Eriskay up for auction
31 October 2021
Counting the haul