Mystery of Scots rock found in China
Perthshire Distillery looking to solve far east mystery
A mystery from the Far East has a Perthshire Distillery appealing for the help of the public.
What is the link between a Scottish missionary doctor, a resort in the mountains of China, and the UK's oldest whisky distillery?
Recently construction workers in China uncovered a giant piece of rock engraved with the word Glenturret - the name of a distillery in Crieff, Perthshire. The discovery came during a recent excavation for a resort at Moganshan, two hours from Shanghai. The developers of the resort know some of the property used to belong to Dr. Duncan Main, a Scottish missionary doctor who dedicated 45 years of his life to working in China in the late 1800s and early 1900s. What they are puzzled about is the connection to Glenturret.
Staff at Glenturret Distillery in Crieff, Perthshire are calling on the public to help them solve the last pieces of an intriguing puzzle.
Grant Horsfield, who operates a resort in the area where the stone was discovered flagged up the mystery to distillery staff. He said: "We know Dr. Duncan Main, one of the most famous missionaries in China at the time, had a castle on the property and that it was used as a summer retreat by him and his hospital staff. It was built in 1910 as a sanitorium and known simply as #1 Moganshan. We also know it passed into the hands of the government of Zhejiang for a short time during China's nationalisation and then was handed back to Dr. Main's son, S. Duncan Main. It was then sold to the Jiangnan Auto Company and opened as the Green Shade Inn. However, it was not well maintained and was torn down in the 1960s."
He recently got in touch with Glenturret Distillery after he and his workers found the name engraved in bold letters into a piece of rock and with the help of researchers on both sides of the world, including the local history officer at the AK Bell Library in Perth, the two parties have filled in a few blanks. But they're hoping the public can help solve the mystery for good.
Stuart Cassells, General Manager of Glenturret Distillery, commented:
"At first it might seem not seem like a surprise that a Scottish missionary doctor would be linked to a Scottish whisky distillery. But the fact is that Dr. Duncan Main was born and brought up in Ayrshire and was educated in Glasgow and Edinburgh. We have yet to find a link between Dr. Main and our own region of Crieff, which is some distance away at the foot of the Scottish Highlands. We're wondering if perhaps Dr. Main was such a fan of his native drink that he was one of the first importers of Glenturret whisky to China. Another possibility is that the rock has uncovered a link not to Glenturret Distillery but to a British steamship called Glenturret that we also know existed. What is clear is that Glenturret made its mark, literally, halfway around the world. We'd love to have someone come forward to shed some more light on what is truly a fascinating story and a very colourful cast of characters. Otherwise, for us, it may not be so much the Year of the Monkey as the Year of the Whisky as we try to clear the whole mystery up."
Glenturret Distillery is asking anybody with information on Dr. Duncan Main, particularly regarding his time in China, or the mysterious rock to get in touch with the distillery at marketing@theglenturret.com