A DISTILLERY is investing £580,000 in community projects on the island on which it stands to mark its 200-year anniversary.

Lagavulin, the Islay single malt whisky, is launching a one-off single cask edition of 522 bottles to raise funds for local projects.

All proceeds will be distributed to local initiatives, including a donation of £310,000 for Islay Heritage, which aims to build a comprehensive story of Islay’s past based on the island’s archaeological sites and monuments.

Lagavulin will also donate £60,000 to the Finlaggan Trust, which maintains the historical site at Finlaggan, the home of the Lords of the Isles.

The Lagavulin 200 Legacy will also contribute to the local swimming pool, cyber cafe and arts and festival organisations, as well as a new partnership with the RSPB to restore and conserve peatlands on the island.

Nick Morgan, Diageo head of whisky outreach, said: “We have had a fantastic year celebrating the 200th anniversary of Lagavulin, both on Islay and with the hundreds of thousands of people around the world who adore the whisky. Islay and its remarkable local community are at the heart of Lagavulin. That’s why we were determined there should be a legacy from the anniversary which would directly benefit the island and its people.“We believe that our contribution to Islay Heritage is not only of great significance to the island itself but is an important contribution to conserving and promoting the history and heritage of Scotland, which is particularly fitting given that 2017 is Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.”

Bottles of the Lagavulin 1991 Single Malt Scotch Whisky cask can only be purchased through a special ballot on the Whisky Exchange, with the first bottle being auctioned separately to raise more charitable funds, and one bottle being donated to each of the Diageo Archive and the Whisky Exchange.

Potential customers can register interest in buying a bottle – priced at £1,494 – with the Whisky Exchange.

Steven Mithen, trustee of Islay Heritage and professor of archaeology, said: “While some of Islay’s sites and monuments are very well known and accessible, others are virtually unknown, difficult to find and rarely visited.

“There are no doubt many more waiting to be discovered which will help tell us more about not only Islay’s story but that of Scotland, Europe and the path of human culture as a whole. We are delighted that Lagavulin shares our vision to reveal Islay’s past so that it can be explored and enjoyed by everyone.”