T he third edition of The Distillers One of One, the world’s most distinguished ultra-rare whisky auction, will take place at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh on Friday 10th October 2025. In partnership with Sotheby’s, The Distillers One of One brings together an unparalleled collection of wholly unique, never-to-be-repeated Scotch whiskies from distilleries across the length and breadth of Scotland.
The previous two editions of The Distillers One of One Auction have resulted in almost 40 record-breaking hammer prices, with over £4.3 million donated to The Distillers’ Charity, principally to the Youth Action Fund, which aims to improve the life chances of disadvantaged young people in our Scotch Whisky-making communities.
What Makes 'Distillers One of One' the Must-Bid Whisky Event of the Year
“Distillers One of One is the apex at which whisky meets art and luxury. It is remarkable that so many whisky brands have generously donated pieces of such high age, high quality and highly creative concepts. Being entrusted, once again, to present these whiskies to the world’s most dedicated collectors, all to raise money for a worthy cause, is a privilege.”
The Auction
The third edition of The Distillers One of One Auction – comprising one-off, never-to-be-repeated lots specially created and donated by leading Scotch Whisky distilleries – will take place at Hopetoun House on the outskirts of Edinburgh on Friday 10 October 2025. This is a ticketed event for which all attendees must be registered. There are 39 lots, which showcase the excellence in quality, innovation and value of Scotch Whisky, ranging in estimates from £1,000 upwards to £300,000.
This groundbreaking auction would not be possible without the generosity of some of the most revered brands in Scotch Whisky. The Worshipful Company of Distillers and The Distillers’ Charity have galvanized whisky brands, both new and old, from every region of Scotland to present exceptional whiskies with incredible creativity, all in the name of charity. In addition to the generous bottles, casks and experiences donated for this sale, these brands also gave further support to make this event possible. The participating donors each fall into one of three tiers - Founders, Members and Associates, which are laid out below:
Founder Lots
Member Lots
Associate Lots
The Distillers' Charity
The Distillers’ Charity is governed by its board of trustees, who are responsible for setting the organisation’s grant-making strategy and securing resources to support its philanthropic mission. The Charity’s original purpose and aims, as with those of many Livery companies, lie in developing talent and knowledge in young people focused on education and vocational training in the distilling industry.
Building on this foundation, The Distillers’ Charity has developed into a grant maker with a broad mission to transform the lives of the most disadvantaged young people by helping them develop their confidence, resilience and skills so they are ready for life and work. The Charity is funded through the biennial Distillers One of One Auction Series, as well as the support of the Livery members and other fundraising.
Youth Action Fund
The Youth Action Fund is supported by the proceeds of the Distillers One of One Auction Series to transform the life chances of young people in Scotland aged between 16 and 25. The Fund’s portfolio of charities and impact monitoring is managed by Inspiring Scotland.
From the Fund’s inception in January 2022, following the extremely successful inaugural Distillers One of One Auction in December 2021, working with The Distillers’ Charity, Inspiring Scotland curated a portfolio of six charity delivery partners, each bringing deep expertise and experience in achieving sustainable employability outcomes with young people from disadvantaged background.
More than 3,300* young people have been engaged through the Youth Action Fund since its inception in early 2022, benefiting from the work the fund’s dedicated charity partners have undertaken, and dramatically increasing their opportunities to enter the workforce.
* to end June 2025
"This transformational change has been brought about by a unique partnership in Scotland, instigated by The Distillers’ Charity and generously supported by Scotch Whisky industry, Donors, Sponsors and buyers who have helped to raise millions of pounds at the biennial One of One auction."
The Youth Action Fund Portfolio of Charities
Aberdeen Foyer supports people facing homelessness, unemployment, mental health issues and poverty. The charity believes everyone has a right to a positive future and aims to help people towards education, work and a stable place to live. Working in the city of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, the charity supports more than 1600 people a year to secure tenancies, acquire the skills and experience they need for work, and develop positive mental health and wellbeing. Its services include housing, training, and counselling support. Be it one-to-one or in groups, the charity has always believed in starting with people’s strengths, to build their confidence, develop their talents and make changes to their lives.
Action for Children delivers crucial services across Scotland, providing practical and emotional care supporting young people. Working towards a vision that every child and young person should have a safe and happy childhood, the charity helps around 20,000 of the most disadvantaged young people in Scotland every year.
Young people are identified through the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation and include care-experienced young people, young offenders, those who are homeless or experiencing mental health or physical issues, and those who have low levels of educational attainment and are suffering from a lack of opportunity. Through the support of the Youth Action Fund, Action for Children are focusing on vital programmes that help get young people become job-ready. Not only do the programmes support people to get the practical skills they need, they also build relationships with potential employers, creating opportunities for young people, enabling a pathway to a more positive future and real job opportunities.
ENABLE Works delivers services to people with additional support needs, and their families, around the UK. The organisation’s vision is that every person with a learning disability should have the choice and control to live independently in the community.
The Disability Employment Gap is a Government measure used to understand the difference between those who are disabled and working compared to the non-disabled working population. At 32.8%, Scotland has the highest Disability Employment Gap in the UK. If a young disabled person leaves school with no positive destination, they are four times more likely to be unemployed at 25. ENABLE Works provides employment and skills to help people with disabilities, or other barriers to employment, access the world of work. The organisation also engages with employers to challenge perceptions and help foster more inclusive workplaces.
FARE Scotland is a voluntary organisation working in some of the most disadvantaged communities across Central Scotland with the aim of transforming lives and helping people have a positive impact on their community. Based in Easterhouse in Glasgow, it aims to support people of all ages.
FARE Scotland works closely with young people who are still in school but struggling with their environment to help identify alternative ways of learning, and improve their skills and work readiness with support from the Youth Action Fund. In collaboration with Glasgow Fort shopping centre, FARE has developed an on-the-job programme focused on improving young people’s employability skills in the East End of the city. Working closely with retailers and hospitality venues in the area, the initiative provides placements and on-the-job training so young people can develop their abilities and unearth their potential.
Street League supports young people providing help in some of the most disadvantaged communities in Scotland – using the power of sport. It encourages young people to get active, make positive life decisions and supports them to overcome personal barriers that may be preventing them from finding employment.
Working across much of Central Scotland, the aim is to inspire and equip young people with the confidence, motivation, skills and qualifications they need to succeed in the world of work using Street League’s long-established relationships with schools, local communities, and employers.
The Talk About Trust is a national charity that supports schools, parents, carers, health educators and professionals supporting young adults to ensure that young people of all abilities are equipped with the resilience and life skills to make safer choices around alcohol and other substances.
The Trust’s work in Scotland is an integral part of The Youth Action Fund, by training the staff in partner charities who support young adults at risk of unemployment or who lack training, who are also more vulnerable to alcohol and substance misuse.
Auction Sponsors
W1M Wealth & Investment Management
W1M is a leading international wealth and investment management firm, formed in 2024 through the merger of Waverton Investment Management Group Limited and London and Capital Group Limited. The firm offers an extensive range of services, including cross-border advisory and planning expertise, institutional-quality investment management, and comprehensive global tax and consolidated portfolio reporting, designed to meet the evolving complexities of wealth and investment management, including addressing international and intergenerational needs.
Glencairn Crystal Studio is a family business based in Scotland which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021. They are the world experts in the design, creation and supply of crystal and glass containers for super premium spirits and the company behind the world’s favourite whisky glass: the Glencairn Glass.
McLaren Presentation specialise in the design and manufacture of premium, paper-based packaging for the Scotch whisky industry. Employing approximately 260 people across 6 sites in Central Scotland, their goal is to deliver a sustainable business that has minimal impact on the environment and a positive impact on the communities that they operate in.
Simpsons Malt is an independent, fifth-generation, family-owned business and Certified B Corporation. The company’s passion is a focus on making malts with taste, flavour and consistently high quality with the world’s best brewers and distillers in mind, helping them to craft the finest beers and whiskies.
Forsyths is one of the world leaders in the supply of distillation equipment. The art and craft of their skilled coppersmiths remain vital to the production of the equipment. Forsyths’ experience in distillation is now recognised on a worldwide basis. Many spirit-based drinks around the globe owe their unique but consistent characters to their knowhow.
Hamilton & Inches has been Edinburgh’s foremost destination for fine jewellery, luxury watches and handcrafted silver, since 1866. Offering a range of specialist services including bespoke commissions and personalised pieces, repairs, engraving and valuations, the official Rolex retailer is also proud to operate a Rolex-accredited service centre, right in the heart of Edinburgh, as well as a Rolex Certified Pre-owned boutique, offering clients a wide range of pre-owned pieces, all carefully selected by their in-house specialist.
Brodies is a prominent UK law firm, headquartered in Scotland, that provides expert advice to UK and international clients. With offices in London and throughout Scotland, and a global network of partner firms , they are well-equipped to support clients around the world.
The Worshipful Company of Distillers
The Worshipful Company of Distillers (The Distillers) is an historic City Livery Company with a proud history and 21st century relevance. Established originally, to monitor and regulate commercial distilleries within a 21-mile radius of The City of London, The Distillers have changed with the times. Still at the heart of the distilling industry the focus is now very much on philanthropy and fellowship.
Today, the principal activity is to support relevant charitable causes, underpinned by giving back amongst the Livery, recognising the value of time and talent as well as money. Beyond this philanthropic scope, The Distillers is at the heart of the spirits industry, by inspiring the craft, understanding and enjoyment of distilled products through industry championship and fellowship.
From its formation as a corporation by Royal Charter in 1638, The Distillers were raised to the status of Livery Company in 1672, the 350th anniversary of this is in 2022. There are 110 Livery Companies in The City of London who play an active role in the life of The City.