12/06/2026
ONE FOR THE HISTORY BUFFS & WHISKY AFFICIANADOS
This is the story behind release number 1 of the four series Dundee Castle Collection. A stunning golden honeyed 12 year old Glen Garioch bottled at full cask strength of 57.1%. Only 200 bottles were available originally with just under half now left.
Bottles with signed matching numbered print: £125
Bottles without a print: £95
“BROUGHTY CASTLE
Broughty Castle, a 15th-century coastal fort on the Firth of Tay in Dundee, was built around 1490–1496 by the 2nd Lord Gray to defend against English naval attacks. It played a major role in the "Rough Wooing" (1547–1550) and later conflicts, functioning as a key artillery defense until after World War II. Today, it is a museum.
Key Historical Periods:
• Construction (1490s): Commissioned by the 4th Earl of Angus and constructed by Lord Gray, the tower house was designed for defense.
• The Rough Wooing (1547–1550): The castle was captured by the English without resistance in 1547, held for two and a half years, and recaptured by a Franco-Scottish force in 1550.
• 17th Century Conflicts: It was sacked by General Monck during the English invasion of 1651.
• 19th Century Restoration: In 1846, it was sold to the railway, then reacquired for national defense in 1854. It was heavily remodeled into a modern artillery fort around 1860 due to fears of French invasion.
• World Wars and Modern Era: Used as a defense point in both world wars, the castle became a scheduled monument in the 1930s and now serves as a museum managed by Leisure & Culture Dundee. The castle, which is free to visit, offers four floors of exhibits, including "Broughty Life" and a military gallery, accessed via a narrow spiral staircase.
Dundee was strongly loyal to the Royalist cause, particularly to Charles II and his father, Charles I, serving as a key stronghold, but this loyalty led to its brutal sacking by Cromwell's forces in 1651, though the name "Dundee" later became synonymous with the Jacobite supporter John Graham, Viscount Dundee.
Evidence of Loyalty:
• Cromwellian Siege (1651): Dundee was one of the last Scottish towns to resist Oliver Cromwell, holding out as a strong royalist bastion until it was violently stormed by General Monck's troops.
• Royal Thanks: Charles II thanked the town's council for their faithful service to his father, Charles I, even while in exile.
• Centre of Royalist Wealth: The city stored significant wealth and gold reserves for the Crown and prominent royalists, highlighting its trust in the monarchy.
Shift in Allegiance & Later Connection:
• Post-Restoration: Following the Restoration of the monarchy, Dundee's loyalty remained, with figures like John Graham (later "Bonnie Dundee") serving Charles II and his successor, James VII.
• The Jacobite Figure: The famous "Bonnie Dundee" (John Graham) was a staunch Jacobite who rallied support for James II after the Glorious Revolution in 1688, becoming a symbol of resistance against William and Mary, even though his connection was more personal to the Stuart dynasty than direct loyalty to the city.
In essence, Dundee's heart was with the Stuarts, enduring hardship for them, but the name "Dundee" became famous later through a key figure fighting for the exiled James, rather than the city's immediate rulers after 1660.
However, the Scots did hand over King Charles I to the English Parliament in January 1647 after he surrendered to them in 1646, receiving a substantial payment in return, though Oliver Cromwell's forces later took custody and ultimately tried and executed him for treason in 1649. Charles surrendered to the Scottish army hoping for a better deal, but the Scots, after failing to get him to agree to their terms, delivered him to the English Parliament, leading to further conflict and his eventual ex*****on by Cromwell's radical Parliamentarians.

Key Events:
1. Surrender (May 1646): After being defeated in the First English Civil War, Charles I surrendered to the Scottish Covenanter army at Newark.
2. Negotiations & Transfer (Late 1646 - Jan 1647): The Scots held Charles and tried to persuade him to accept their terms (including Presbyterian church governance), but he refused, leading to a rift.
3. Handover to English Parliament (January 1647): In exchange for £200,000, the Scots handed Charles over to the English Parliament, who then imprisoned him.
4. Cromwell's Rise: Political divisions grew, and radical elements within the New Model Army, led by Oliver Cromwell, gained power, eventually deciding Charles could not be trusted and putting him on trial.
5. Ex*****on (January 1649): Charles I was tried for treason, convicted, and executed by the Parliamentarians, establishing the Commonwealth.

General Monck, a key English Parliamentarian commander, captured Broughty Castle in 1651 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, forcing the Royalist defenders to flee without a fight as part of Cromwell's conquest of Scotland, after which the castle fell into decay until the 19th century.
Key Details:
• Context: In 1651, Scotland supported the exiled King Charles II, leading Oliver Cromwell to send General Monck to subdue the country.
• The Siege: Monck's forces attacked Broughty Castle, a stronghold of the Gray family, who backed the Royalists.
• Easy Capture: The castle's garrison abandoned it quickly, fearing Monck's reputation and the overwhelming force, leaving it and its supplies for the Parliamentarians.
• Aftermath: Monck secured Dundee, but left Broughty Castle largely uninhabited as the main threat was elsewhere. The castle subsequently fell into ruin, sold by the Grays in 1666.

The most famous tale from the time is of the lost treasure of the River Tay known as “Monck's Loot”, a vast hoard of gold, silver, and jewels plundered from Dundee in 1651 by Oliver Cromwell's forces and subsequently lost when 60 commandeered ships sank in a storm in the estuary. Potentially worth billions today, though strong currents and murky waters have thwarted recovery efforts for centuries. Besides this legendary wealth, the river also holds smaller finds like Scottish gold flakes, Victorian artefacts from mudlarking, and other historical debris, but the main prize remains the sunken Cromwellian fleet.
The Legend of Monck's Treasure
• Origin: After sacking Dundee in 1651, General George Monck loaded the town's wealth onto a fleet of ships to transport it to Leith.
• The Disaster: A severe storm wrecked the fleet on the Tay's notorious sandbanks, sinking the treasure, which included around 200,000 gold coins.
• Value: The estimated worth in today's money runs into billions, with individual coins potentially valued at £10,000 each.
• Challenges: The powerful underwater currents, deep mud, and murky water of the Tay estuary have made finding the wrecks extremely difficult.
Release No. 1 of 4
BROUGHTY CASTLE
Single Cask Strength Limited Release
Distilled at Glen Garioch Distillery
Bottled at 45 Hound Black Bond
70cl
57% ABV
Bottles 1 to 200

INAUGURAL RELEASE
One Cask. One Castle. One Chance.
This is the first release from The Dundee Castle Collection by Mr. John Justice: a 12 year old single-cask Scotch Malt whisky, bottled once and never again.�
Drawn from a solitary cask filled in February 2014 at Glen Garioch Distillery, only 200 numbered bottles of Broughty Castle (Release No.1 of 4) will ever exist.
Bottled at natural cask strength from a refill bourbon barrel (57% ABV), with no chill-filtration and no added colour, this is whisky in its purest, most uncompromising form.
• Broughty Castle, single cask, cask strength (57% ABV, 70cl)
About This Whisky
Colour: Golden honey �Nose: Sweet ripeness, delicate citrus�Palate: Wholesome maltiness. Honeyed sweetness. Vanilla notes. Creamy texture.
Finish: Gently flavoured. Very smooth.
About Glen Garioch
One of the oldest operating distilleries in Scotland dating from 1797 – and its most easterly – Glen Garioch (pronounced Geery in the ancient Doric dialect still spoken in these parts) has been making its mighty malt in the quaint and historic market town of Oldmeldrum, near Aberdeen in North East Scotland, ever since 1797. Shielded from the world’s prying eyes, deep in the fertile ‘Granary of Aberdeenshire’, and only ever produced in small, precious batches, Glen Garioch is a rare find indeed, but warmly appreciated by those who like a hearty Highland malt, non chill-filtered as nature intended, with a wholesome maltiness, honeyed sweetness and delicious creamy texture to savour.
Glen Garioch, owned by Suntory Global Spirits, is famous for producing hearty, traditional Highland single malt Scotch whisky known for its creamy texture and complex notes of fruit and honey, and for its location in the "Granary of Aberdeenshire," a prime barley-growing region. It's also known for its historic role in blends like Vat 69 and its unique story, including its "Silent Spring" water source and use of greenhouses for heat.
Key Highlights:
• Age & Heritage: One of Scotland's earliest distilleries, making it a historical landmark in the whisky world, originally founded in 1797.
• Location: Situated in the fertile Valley of Garioch in Aberdeenshire, renowned for producing excellent barley, the core ingredient for whisky.
• Whisky Style: Produces robust yet smooth Highland malts, celebrated for a distinctive creamy character, often with rich fruit and heather honey notes.
• Traditional Methods: Known for maintaining traditional production methods, contributing to its authentic taste.
• Unique Features: Famously used waste heat from distillation to grow vegetables in greenhouses in the 1970s and 80s, and utilizes a unique, quiet spring ("The Silent Spring") for its water.
• Blends: Historically a key component (heart malt) for the famous blended Scotch, Vat 69.
In essence, Glen Garioch offers a taste of old-school Highland whisky, rooted in a rich history and a prime agricultural location.
In essence, Glen Garioch offers a taste of old-school Highland whisky, rooted in a rich history and a prime agricultural location.”
