Borders rugby legend Doddie hoping whisky donation will dram up funding boost for his foundation

Borders rugby legend Doddie Weir was never short of bottle during his playing days, and he’s certainly not now, thanks to a donation of hundreds of them from whisky firm Diageo.
By Darin Hutson
Published 7th Aug 2020, 09:58 BST
Doddie Weir with a bottle of Glenkinchie single malt whisky.Doddie Weir with a bottle of Glenkinchie single malt whisky.
Doddie Weir with a bottle of Glenkinchie single malt whisky.

The former Scotland international has now taken delivery of the first batch of almost 380 bottles of 16-year-old single malt Scotch whisky to be raffled or auctioned off to raise money for his motor neurone disease research charity, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

They’re from a cask he picked at Glenkinchie Distillery, near Ormiston in East Lothian, in February.

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The 50-year-old, diagnosed with MND in 2016, said: “It’s very exciting to see the cask I chose earlier this year now packaged in these beautiful bottles bearing my foundation’s tartan.

Rugby legend and motor neurone disease campaigner Doddie Weir visits Diageo’s Glenkinchie Distillery to select a cask of Glenkinchie single malt to have bottled for his My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, helped by distillery manager Ramsay Borthwick, whisky specialist Louise Martin and apprentice Eve Murphy.Rugby legend and motor neurone disease campaigner Doddie Weir visits Diageo’s Glenkinchie Distillery to select a cask of Glenkinchie single malt to have bottled for his My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, helped by distillery manager Ramsay Borthwick, whisky specialist Louise Martin and apprentice Eve Murphy.
Rugby legend and motor neurone disease campaigner Doddie Weir visits Diageo’s Glenkinchie Distillery to select a cask of Glenkinchie single malt to have bottled for his My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, helped by distillery manager Ramsay Borthwick, whisky specialist Louise Martin and apprentice Eve Murphy.

“The whisky is a great addition to our fundraising efforts, and I’m sure it will generate a lot of money to support the search for a cure to MND.

“It’s a gorgeous, smooth and silky single malt, and I know people are going to love it. It’s been a pleasure working with the people at Diageo and Glenkinchie, and I look forward to sharing a dram with them again soon.”

Ewan Andrew, president of global supply chain and procurement for Diageo, added: “It has been a pleasure and privilege for everyone at Diageo to be able to support Doddie Weir and his remarkable fundraising campaign.

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“He is a true inspiration to us all with the incredible bravery and good humour with which he meets the challenges of his condition.

“We look forward to these bottles of whisky raising lots of funds for the battle against motor neurone disease.”

Doddie, of Blainslie, has raised more than £5.8m for MND sufferers and researchers since launching his foundation in November 2017.

Related topics:DiageoBordersMNDScotlandEast Lothian