EWAN MCGREGOR RAISES £135K FOR SCOTTISH CHARITY THROUGH
WHISKY AUCTION
CEO of CHAS, Rami Okasha and Ewan McGregor
Renowned Scottish actor Ewan McGregor has raised £135,000 for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) after auctioning 150 exclusive bottles from his own personal 1998 cask of Arran Single Malt Whisky from Lochranza Distillery.
Auctioned through the world’s leading online whisky auction platform, Whisky Auctioneer, 543 bidders from 28 countries placed over 7,000 bids on “Ewan’s Cut”. The auction also saw a 160% increase in monthly registrations. The hammer price reached £119,893, further boosted by £15,107, as Whisky Auctioneer waived its seller’s commission and donated its 12.5% buyer’s commission, ensuring that the maximum possible funds reach CHAS.
Bottle #1 of “Ewan’s Cut” achieved a hammer price of £4,350, setting a new record for the highest price ever paid for a bottle of Arran single malt at auction. This rare 26 year old Arran Single Malt, matured in an ex-Sherry Hogshead cask, is one of the oldest whiskies ever produced by the Lochranza Distillery. The cask was gifted to McGregor by the distillery in 1998, with the team also generously donating their time and expertise to bottle and prepare the whisky for auction.
The Leith Agency worked in partnership with Ewan and his brother Colin McGregor to bring “Ewan’s Cut” to life on a pro-bono basis. The bottle design and name were inspired by Ewan’s illustrious career, featuring references to his iconic roles in films like Trainspotting and Star Wars, as well as his memorable Long Way Round adventure. Each of the 150 bottle labels reads like a mini film script, with no two labels alike.
Ewan McGregor said:
“What a total! I just want to thank each and every one of our partners for putting the time, effort and work into this endeavour.
CHAS has always been very close to my heart, and I am so proud that we were all able to raise such a sum for them. I know it’s the children they help and their families who will benefit a lot from this – so thank you very much to everyone involved and to those that placed generous bids in the auction.”
Rami Okasha, CEO at CHAS said:
“We are very grateful to Ewan McGregor, a long-standing supporter and friend of CHAS, for kindly choosing to donate all the proceeds from this special auction to CHAS so we can continue to support children with life-shortening conditions and their families, bringing us closer to our founding mission of reaching every child and family that needs our help.
“A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in this exciting auction that enabled so much to be raised for CHAS. I would also like to express our sincere thanks to Isle of Arran Distillers, to Whisky Auctioneer and to the Leith Agency.
“Three children die each week in Scotland from an incurable condition. We can only be there for families with the support of kind donations like this. CHAS provides unwavering care to children who may die young and their families, at every step on this hardest of journeys. Proceeds received from this auction make a huge difference to children and families helping us to reach every family across Scotland who needs our help and to keep the joy alive even in the face of death.”
Euan Mitchell, Managing Director at Isle of Arran Distillers added:
“We are absolutely delighted that the auction of ‘Ewan’s Cut’ has successfully raised an incredible £135,000 for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS). This project has been a journey close to our hearts since Ewan McGregor first joined us at Lochranza Distillery back in 1998. To see his private cask of Arran Single Malt contribute to such a worthy cause is truly special.
It has been a privilege to collaborate with Ewan, Whisky Auctioneer, and the Leith Agency to bring this unique whisky to life, and we are deeply grateful for the support and generosity from everyone involved. The funds raised will make a significant difference in supporting the vital work of CHAS, helping families during their most challenging times.”
Joe Wilson, Head Curator and Spirits Specialist at Whisky Auctioneer said:
“This is an outstanding result for everyone involved but most importantly, the amount of funds raised for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) will have a lasting positive impact on so many children and families in Scotland.
“It’s always a privilege to work together on partnerships like this where we can not only offer a chance for people to bid on very special bottles of whisky, but also really help to make a difference to people’s lives.”
Richard Marsham, CEO of Leith Agency said:
“Leith are delighted to have been part of the Ewan’s Cut project in conjunction with Ewan McGregor and CHAS. It’s fantastic to see this level of money raised for such a great cause and that our bespoke label designs really helped push the auction prizes up with each bottle being a unique collector’s item. And a big shout out to our friends at Isle of Arran Distillers and Whisky Auctioneer for making the whole project possible.”
To find out more about Whisky Auctioneer, please visit www.whiskyauctioneer.com
To find out more about Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS), please visit https://www.chas.org.uk/
To find out more about Isle of Arran Distillers, please visit https://www.arranwhisky.com/
To find out more about Leith Agency, please visit https://leith.co.uk/
About CHAS
Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) provides unwavering care to children who may die young and their families, at every step on this hardest of journeys.
- Our Unwavering Care 2024-2028 Strategy sets out how no family ever has to face the death of their child alone, with CHAS providing support at each critical stage of their palliative care journey – from the moment of a child’s diagnosis, to helping the child live well and by supporting the family after a child’s death.
- The Strategy was developed following in-depth consultation and feedback from families and stakeholders.
- CHAS is there to help every family member emotionally, clinically, and practically and provide integrated palliative and end of life care as well as respite care for the whole family in our two hospices, Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch.
- Our outreach team operates in every local authority area – providing highly skilled nursing care for children in their own homes (often in partnership with local teams), as well as a full family support service. This includes social work, income maximisation, energy advice, spiritual and bereavement support, transition to adult services for 16 – 21s, and therapeutic play.
- There is a joint CHAS/ NHS specialist team in every children’s hospital in Scotland. The only specialist Paediatric Palliative Medicine posts in Scotland are funded by CHAS. Our Diana Children’s Nurses provide specialist support alongside the NHS in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
- We are there at the end of life, supporting children to die with dignity, in accordance with their and their parents’ wishes and we also help in the difficult days after a child dies with ongoing bereavement support.
- The wonderful letters which form our logo are created by the children and families that use our services.
- Follow CHAS on Twitter and Instagram: @supportCHAS, or like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/supportCHAS
About Leith Agency
The Leith Agency is an award-winning strategic and creative agency based in Edinburgh and Manchester with over 130 staff members. The agency was founded in 1984 and works with a number of global clients including The Macallan, Famous Grouse, AG Barr and The Scottish Government.
About Isle of Arran Distillers
Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd is an independently owned producer of Single Malt Whisky on the Isle of Arran, with two distilleries situated at either end of the island.
Arran Single Malt is produced at Lochranza Distillery which was established at the north-west tip of the Isle of Arran in the village of Lochranza in 1995. The site was carefully chosen for the quality of its water source, Loch na Davie, which is filtered through six waterfalls before it reaches the distillery in the foothills of the village. Lochranza will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025.
Their second distillery opened at Lagg, at the south end of the island, in 2019 and produces the heavily peated Lagg Single Malt.
As one of the very first of a new wave of distilleries opening in the early 1990s, Lochranza Distillery has remained independent since day one, under the care of a dedicated small team of passionate whisky people. Arran Single Malt is a mark of quality that whisky lovers respect and trust. The pioneering spirit of this independent team has ensured that this small Scottish island and its whisky is an important and globally respected part of the whisky industry.
About Whisky Auctioneer
Whisky Auctioneer is the global market leader and trusted authority on the buying and selling of whisky and spirits at auction. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Perth, Scotland, Whisky Auctioneer utilises its expertise and knowledge combined with its auction platform to increase interest and passion in the whisky and spirits community. The business currently sees over 150,000 bids per month and has conducted deliveries to 74 countries across the globe.
The central Scotland headquarter’s success paved the way for international expansion with secondary offices now located in central London and the Netherlands.
Whisky Auctioneer endeavours to make the secondary market more accessible for buyers and sellers of any background and demographic, wherever in the world they are based. Its monthly global auctions feature the most comprehensive selection of old, rare and collectible whiskies and spirits online, and are unmatched in volume, variety of bottles offered and prices achieved. Alongside an unrivalled selection of rare Scotch whisky and Irish Whiskey, Whisky Auctioneer has also established the business as the market-leading specialist in presenting world whiskies for sale; from rare American whiskey and bourbon to iconic Japanese whiskies.
In February 2021, the online auction house made history during the iconic sale of The Perfect Collection, when a bottle of The Macallan 1926 Fine and Rare 60 Year Old sold for a hammer price of £1 million. This was the first time a single bottle of whisky has sold at an online-only auction for one million pounds.
