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The Distillers One of One charity auction raises a record-breaking £2.9m for Scotland youth
By Michelle Johnson | 13 October 2025 | Food & Drink, Philanthropy
The whisky auction was hosted on Friday 10 October with a showcase of unique bottlings from Scotland’s most prestigious distilleries
The Distillers One of One charity auction raised a record-breaking £2.9m for the Distillers’ Charity’s Youth Action Fund on Friday 10 October. The third iteration of the biennial auction – hosted at Hopetoun House in partnership with Sotheby’s auction house – saw 30 never-to-be-repeated lots from Scotland’s most prestigious whisky distilleries sold for estimate-busting prices, all to improve the life chances of disadvantaged young people in Scotch Whisky-making communities.
The record-breaking lots included The Glenlivet Spira – a 60-year-old single malt, distilled in 1965 and matured for six decades in a single hogshead cask, encased in a hand-blown glass vessel – which sold for £650,000.
Close on the Spira’s heels was the Port Ellen Prism, which set two new records for the famed Islay distillery. The 46-year-old Prism, presented in a 1.5ltr decanter and housed in a mesmerising glass sculpture by Wilfried Grootens, is the oldest ever release from Port Ellen. At £375,000, the sale is also the highest price ever paid for a bottle of Port Ellen whisky.
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“Diageo is delighted to have donated such a special whisky to this year’s auction, in the year that Port Ellen Distillery celebrates its 200th anniversary,” said Julie Bramham, managing director of the Diageo Luxury Group, which owns Port Ellen. “We’re pleased to see such a collector interested in Port Ellen Prism and look forward to welcoming them to the distillery on Islay. The Distillers One of One Auction raises vital funds for the Youth Action Fund which is dedicated to transforming the lives of young people in Scotland, and Diageo is proud to support them once again.”
Other surprises included the auction’s oldest whisky, The Glen Grant 77 Years Old, which at £400,000 sold for five times its low estimate, as well as notable releases such as The Glendronach Arias in Time (comprising four bottles from the distillery’s history), Laphroaig Capsule 40 Year Old, and The Last Drop Blending Experience.
Related: The Distillers One of One: The Glenlivet and Aberlour present oldest ever bottlings for the 2025 charity whisky auction
“We’re so humbled to see such generosity in action for this third Distillers One of One Auction,” said Beanie Espey-Geraedts, managing director of Distillers One of One. “The resounding success is the result of an incredible collective endeavour across the Scotch whisky industry to create meaningful and lasting change, with much work behind the scenes from passionate individuals who care deeply about their communities.
“It is very special to us to know that this exceptional sum that has been raised will have a direct impact on Scotland’s disadvantaged youth. We are very much looking forward to the next Distillers One of One Auction in 2027.”