that. But at the end of the banquet we have a series of toasts, which is the most terrifying part. On the first toast you stand up. On the second toast you stand on your chair. And for the final toast you place one foot on the table. It’s great fun, everyone ends up banging into one another – even lords and ladies in their 90s join in. “After the toasts the Highland-
ers’ pipers and drummers perform which is phenomenal – it makes my heart leap out of my chest. Ten, when the clock strikes 11.15pm, everyone departs. Tere is a real military aspect to it.”
ANNABEL IS now preparing for the next banquet in October and has already lined-up some top guest speakers, including former Scottish Conservatives’ leader Annabelle Goldie and former Prime Minister Sir John Major. She’s also ap- proached crime writer Ian Rankin, Irish golfer Paul McGinley and Scots actor Sam Heughan. “Sam’s a big fan of Scotch whisky but he started as an actor at the
Lyceum. I also like the idea of Keep- ers being more philanthropic; we’re nurturing young talent and I want to expand on that. Every year we award a scholarship to a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Tere’s lots to look forward to. At the next banquet we’re also going to have the inaugural release of our first single cask bottling for Keepers of the Quaich.” But the biggest headache for An-
nabel is devising the table plan. She said: “It’s like a giant jigsaw
puzzle, trying to work out who to put next to who. “All of the companies and mem-
bers are competitors. Every day of their working lives they’re fighting for market share. But incredibly, for two days each year, they put all of that behind them. “Tey leave their swords at the
door, they sit down and chat like old friends, break the bread, drink the drink and, at 11.15pm they go home. Te next day they’re back to being market rivals. It’s extraordi- nary – I don’t know any other event quite like it.”
The exclusive Keeper of the Quaich ceremony is regarded as the Oscars of the whisky industry and is guarded every year by the Atholl Highlanders at Blair Castle
EVENTSBASE | AUTUMN 2016 | 11
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