Charles MacLean and his sons have established a charity dedicated to clean water projects around the world. With an industry icon such as Charlie involved, it’s unsurprising to learn that some of the charity’s fundraising efforts will be whisky-themed.
The MacLean Foundation’s first fundraising endeavour will begin with the three MacLean brothers - Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan - attempt to row, run and cycle between all the distilleries in Scotland currently selling whisky within two weeks.
In addition to this, the charity will also independently bottle whisky from casks that have been donated by these distilleries to raise money for clean water projects. It is hoped that each bottle will provide at least one person with access to clean water for life.
Over the course of their journey a total 150 nautical miles will be covered by rowing and a staggering 2,000 miles across Scotland travelled by bike.
The brothers are no strangers to such phenomenal physical endeavours; in 2020 they rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, raising over £200,000 for charity. In doing so they became the first trio of brothers to make this incredible journey, as well as earning world records for being the youngest and fastest group to achieve this feat.
As part of their training, the brothers rowed from Arran to Skye, visiting 16 distilleries along the way. Charlie MacLean, along with his friends from within the industry, used whiskies from these distilleries to produce a unique blend and blended malt.
Upon the brothers’ return from the Caribbean, these limited run whiskies were bottled by Adelphi and raised an additional £55,000 for projects in Madagascar.
Unfortunately, when the brothers went to visit Madagascar to see the water boreholes they funded, they fell ill through contact with dirty water. This first hand experience highlighted the importance of clean water and sanitation. They hope their fundraising efforts with the foundation will not only raise awareness of the issue, but offer material support to widen access to this most basic of necessities.
Future fundraising efforts are in the pipeline, including plans for another ocean row. Those wishing to keep up to date with The MacLean Foundation can do so via their website.
While the MacLean family are rightly grabbing the headlines with their work, it’s heartening to see the Scotch whisky industry offer their support - and their spirit - to such a worthy cause.