It runs in
the veins

It is here that Finn’s 6x great-grandfather James Thomson, born in 1713, is farming by day and, as dusk falls, distilling a secret that will one day become his family’s legacy: aqua vitae, the water of life.

His is a tale of adventure, graft and rebellion.

Grandtully Distillery was built in 1825. It passed through several hands before it was taken on by Donald and James Thomson, cousins to Finn’s 3x great-grandfather, Alexander Thomson, in 1838.

Renowned as the smallest distillery in Scotland, it was barely bigger than a smuggler’s bothy. However, with its mash tuns and copper stills Grandtully was a big statement for the family. They were making whisky in broad daylight. The Thomsons had moved from pot still to distillery.

It’s a tale of determination, hope and fraternity.

Keen to capitalise on the open market, the Rogue’s great-grandson set up as a licensed grocer on Perth’s Old High Street – his mark so indelible that you can still see his advertisements on the walls nearly 200 years later.

Trading closely with his cousins Donald and James at the Grandtully Distillery, Alexander gave the first Thomson whiskies their debut on his shopfront, labelled Old Grandtully Whisky.

It’s a tale of entrepreneurship, loyalty, and change.

An expert with rod and gun, Duncan built and then ran The Grandtully Hotel till 1897, showing favoured guests the best salmon pools the Tay had to offer.

The anecdote that best illustrates Duncan’s character has him striding into an architect’s office, plonking two bottles of Old Grandtully whisky on the desk and instructing the man to ‘fill in the space between’. The result is Bendarroch House which remains one of the most handsome homes in Strathtay today.

Duncan is remembered as a powerhouse of progress who always kept one eye on the past. As his Obituary in the Perthshire Advertiser states, “it is now giving away no secret that Mr Thomson was far from being unacquainted with the smugglers’ methods and profits”.

The Grand Old Man is the last link between the smudgy history of illicit distilling and the unstoppable industry of the Victorian era and beyond.

It’s a tale of drive, charm and vision.

An instinctive businessman who is well-versed in the family trade of whisky distilling and blending, Peter begins to buy and lay down casks for Peter Thomson’s, his shop’s eponymous house blend.

It’s a vibrant time for imaginative entrepreneurs with a flair for business, especially in whisky. The fair city of Perth is becoming the epicentre of the industry with the founders of Bell’s, Dewar’s and The Famous Grouse setting up shop just around the corner. To stand out from the crowd, Peter must display innovation and ingenuity, and keep one step ahead.

It’s a tale of endeavour, risk and reward.

Always ready to seize an opportunity, in 1922 Peter re-names his house blend Golden Beneagles Scotch Whisky, positioning it to become synonymous in the minds of the well-heeled experience seekers that would be flooding the hotel two years later.

When Gleneagles opened in June 1924, it was dubbed ‘the eighth wonder of the world’. BBC Radio broadcast the opening gala with Henry Hall and his band. It’s easy to imagine Beneagles Scotch flowing as quickly as the champagne.

This is a tale of foresight, style and glamour.

To allow the mass evacuations at Dunkirk, Churchill commanded the 51st to hold the line. Near the town of Saint-Valerie, they fought almost continuously for 10 days against overwhelming odds. Eventually, with 1,000 killed and 4,000 wounded, they were surrounded by German forces. David was one of 10,000 troops taken prisoner.

While incarcerated in Laufen Castle, in defiance of their captors (and to while away the long years of enforced inactivity) David and his fellow prisoners created their own Scottish Reel symbolising their fraternity, solidarity and national pride. The Reel of the 51st Highlanders is still danced to this day.

After the war David collaborated in business with many of his fellow prisoners – a testimony to the deep friendships and bonds forged through those traumatic years.

This is a tale of bravery, survival and friendship.

Having joined the firm in 1915 and helped steer its destiny through the Depression of the 1930s, she navigated those difficult war years when she was in sole charge, then the post-war growth years and adaptation to the computer age. Eventually Jean retires after 55 years of service but agrees to remain a Director, “lest her experience be lost to the Company,” as the Board’s minutes record.

This is a tale of change, loyalty and indefatigability.

Like Thomsons before him, Michael is a gifted businessman with particular expertise in two areas: ideas and relationships. He celebrates the past by extending his grandfather’s friendships across the whisky industry, especially The Macallan, and grows Beneagles through innovation and clever marketing to become a leading blend in Scotland.

With an eye on the future, he sells Beneagles but keeps the Dougal Cratur Company’s stock of aging casks in the family. It marks the dawn of the single malt era.

This is a tale of entrepreneurship, partnership and innovation.

With dogged attention to detail that only a lawyer could bring, Andrew has stood sentinel over the Thomson cask collection and family history, pouring over archives, unearthing stories and piecing together the full extent of the Thomson legacy.

It was under his watch that a new spark of inspiration was ignited. Under a golden-white winter sunset in the Cairngorms, Andrew, his son Finn and daughter Sorcha resolved that these casks be re-introduced to the world, a testament to their grandfather and resurrecting the Thomson name once again.

This is a tale of patience, discovery and new beginnings.

Fuelled by the natural instinct for creativity and entrepreneurship that has pulsed through Thomson veins for centuries, Finn is now embarking on his biggest adventure yet. With a reverence for those who have walked before him, Finn Thomson is bringing new life to the family business. The story continues for the next generations.