Whisky lot for dram good cause

A BOTTLE of whisky worth £13,000 is to be auctioned at a special evening at Bonhams in the Capital in aid of the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The bottle of Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Years Old, launched earlier this month, will be auctioned off on March 29.

Distilled in 1940, only 100 full-sized decanters have been released for sale in 2011. Decanter number 1 of 100 will be sold at the auction.

Michael Urquhart, joint managing director of Gordon & MacPhail, was set to fly to Japan to launch the whisky when the tragedy struck.

He had the idea of auctioning the bottle in Scotland to raise much-needed money for the relief effort. The proceeds will be donated to the British Red Cross Japan Appeal.

Mr Urquhart said: "I think we all feel helpless in the face of a tragedy like this so it is good to be able to do something practical. I hope people will respond generously."

The auction will be held at Bonhams, Queen Street, on Tuesday at 7pm.