HE IS known for his love of all things Scottish — including the national drink — and now Prince Charles is to launch his own brand of Scotch whisky.

The prince has chosen one of four unmarked bottles of blended malts from the north of Scotland, which he tasted at Clarence House. After several considered samplings, one in particular tickled his palate.

The whisky, Barrogill, the former name of the Castle of Mey, the prince’s holiday retreat in Caithness, will be launched in the new year. A watercolour of the castle, painted by the prince, will appear on the label.

The secret blend is being produced by distillers Inver House in Airdrie, which makes Old Pulteney single malt, one of the prince’s favourite tipples. Barrogill will retail at just under £20 and will be sold in supermarkets and off-licences.

The whisky is being launched as part of the prince’s efforts to support remote communities in northern Scotland. Each bottle sold will raise £1 for the prince’s North Highlands Initiative (NHI), which hopes to breathe new life into the area’s economy.

The NHI was formed as a direct result of the prince’s involvement in bringing together farmers, local business people and tourism representatives to address some of the challenges facing rural communities in the far north.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is looking forward to sampling the special malt and welcomed the prince’s support to remote Highland communities.

“Scotch whisky is clearly associated with local communities in the Highlands and it’s good to see whisky being used to support this local initiative,” said David Williamson, a spokesman for the SWA.

Meanwhile, a former government scientific adviser has launched an attack on Prince Charles’s range of organic products. Professor Anthony Trewavas, of Edinburgh University, dismissed the heir to the throne’s Duchy Originals collection as an expensive “middle-class fad”.

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