Pilot flies 1,000 miles for favourite whisky

Whisky fan Charles Patter flew a 1,000-mile round trip to pick up a £33 bottle of his favourite single malt, Old Pulteney 12 Year Old.

The amateur pilot flew from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, and touched down at Wick John O’Groats Airport in a four-seater Socata TB10.

Patter collected his favourite tipple – Old Pulteney 12 Year Old – from the distillery in Wick, then headed back home.

He was treated to a tour of the Inver House-run plant before selecting a bottle of its produce, and returned home in time to serve up a dram for pre-dinner drinks.

Patter has been flying for more than 10 years, after developing a passion for it following his retirement.

Patter said: ‘I first sampled Old Pulteney whisky at a party, and loved it so much I decided to make a special trip to Wick to pick up a bottle. When I arrived I found the Visitor Centre to be very interesting, and the staff were really helpful in assisting with my selection.

“I like a dram of good whisky before dinner and Old Pulteney is my favourite. It’s really smooth and very palatable which gives it the edge over other whiskies and in fact, a lot of my friends are changing to Old Pulteney.”

Staff at the distillery were stunned when they found out the sole purpose of his mission was to buy a £33 bottle.

Old Pulteney’s senior brand manager, Margaret Mary Clarke, said: “Old Pulteney has always been a whisky associated with adventure, but usually of the maritime kind! We were truly impressed when we heard about Charles’ flight and his dedication to securing his favourite malt.

“Although our 12-year-old is widely available, there will be something extremely special about enjoying a dram from that bottle, knowing that Charles really went the extra mile to buy it in person from the distillery. We say cheers to that!”