MBE for rags to riches distiller

Dec 29 2012

A man who rose through the ranks from tea boy to master distiller at a whisky company is "delighted and surprised" to be named an MBE.

Douglas Campbell has been recognised for his work at Tomatin Distillery and in the community of Strathdearn, Inverness-shire, for over 50 years.

As well as working his way up the management of the distillery and growing the business, Mr Campbell and his wife fostered 23 children.

Now 66, the master distiller has more of an ambassadorial role with the distillery and regularly travels to the US to promote the whisky. He has been honoured by industry awards across the Atlantic but said his MBE is special.

"In my day you could leave school at 15 and get into a job and never leave and you certainly weren't thinking about awards. I've had a few honours from inside the business, in terms of the industry itself, but this is just a little bit different, it was a great surprise to me.

"It's other people who have put my name forward so that means a lot. This is small village up here and everyone is involved in the community and knows each other so some people must have suggested me and that's lovely. I'm the shy and retiring type so I've been totally surprised. To be in the same category as some of the Olympians is something else you know."

Mr Campbell started working in the distillery in 1961 where his first job was as an office clerk making tea and taking documents to the local train station.

He moved through almost every area of the business, from the maltings, filling store, mash house, still house, and cooperage, before being appointed head brewer in 1988 then distillery manager in 1990.

"I started work in the office doing menial jobs like making the teas and I had to do plenty of runs to the train station because the whisky used to be transported on open vehicles and there was a bit of pilfering going on.

"I gradually progressed from there. It took years to learn the job but I've enjoyed it all the way and now as master distiller this award will boost our profile a bit more so it's good that it can help the distillery in that respect."