Letter from Compton Mackenzie, 1941
In the classic 1949 Ealing Studios comedy Whisky Galore!, the people of a remote Scottish island are delighted when a ship full of whisky is wrecked on their shores – and they steal the cargo, against a backdrop of tax regulations and Second World War privation.
The film is based on a novel by author Compton Mackenzie – and a letter held in Gwent Archives reveals the real-life incident that inspired the story, as education and outreach
