Whisky Galore

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Northwest of Scotland

on the broad expanse of the Atlantic

lie the lovely islands of the

Outer Hebrides

small scattered patches of sand and rock

rising out of the ocean.

To the west there is nothing,

except America.

The inhabitants scrape a frugal living

from the sea, the sand

and the low lying hills of coarse

grass and peat bog

A happy people

with few and simple pleasures!

The little island of Todday is a

completely isolated community

a hundred miles from the mainland.

a hundred miles from the nearest

cinema or dancehall

But the islanders know how to enjoy themselves

- they have all that they need

But in 1943,

disaster overwhelmed this little island

Not famine nor pestilence

Nor Hitler's bombs,

or the hordes of an invading army

But something far, far worse!

There is no whisky!

Whisky - Uisge Beatha

in Gaelic they call it "The Water of Life"

And, to a true islander,

Life without it is not worth living.

From that day every man went

into mourning

Mourning for a departed spirit!

He went terrible quick at the end.

What was I to do?

With every bottle in the bar

chock full of nothing

Do you think Winston Churchill

will be knowing that the government

has run out of whisky?

I don't believe he will

It is a pity he will not be saying something

about it on the wireless.

Aye. It's a terrible war right enough!

Do you remember the sabbath,

the day the war started?

Nobody on the island could mind such a storm of rain.

It was a sign.

A sign of what was coming to us.

Water

Just nothing but water.

Ah well. I must be going.

I could have done with a dram myself this evening.

I've had a terrible shock.

- What was that?

- You'd better be asking George here

What have you been doing to Joseph?

I asked Catriona to marry me.

What did she say?

She said "yes"

Is that the mails ready?

Yes father

Sticklips and cigarettes.

Your mother would have more sense!

You'll not have to worry about me much longer.

Or Peggy either I'm thinking.

You're not married yet.

Are you not going down to the pier?

Why would I?

I thought this was the day your Sergeant is arriving

My Sergeant?

I don't know what you are talking about.

There it is! Tightest little island in the world!

You'll be finding a few changes, Sergeant!

You've been away from us for some time.

Two years, three months.

Well, well! Is it as long as that?

In Africa, eh?

That's right

Africa. Now that is a place I have never been.

Ah well. They'll be glad to see you back.

Do you think so?

Aye. The Home Guard amusements are not the same

without you

I hear they've been getting a bit stale lately

That's Captian Waggett's nonsense.

Surely it's up to you constable?

You know:
"the long arm of the law"

You must insist on Captain MacKechnie taking

those boxes of ammunition back to the mainland.

Doesn't he know there's a war on?

He says it is aboard of trade regulation.

What time's this other boat expected?

I do not think it will be expected at all

Mr Waggett

What is it dear?

I'm going down to the pier

Is anything the matter Paul?

You look worried.

Captain MacKechnie refuses to take

the ammunition back when the mails' onboard

But he always has the mails onboard hasn't he dear?

Exactly.

I was not really expecting anything.

I just came down in case there was a chance.

I'll be getting back to my boat, Joseph.

You'll be waiting for the mails?

Just a lot of letters for nothing.

Well how's yourself Mr. Macroon?

None too well, Sergeant, none too well.

Oh I'm sorry to hear that!

Nothing wrong with the family I hope?

Peggy and Catriona I mean.

And what would be wrong with them?

They're fine, just fine.

Both of them smoking away like two chimneys.

One of them thinks she's going to marry herself.

- Peggy?

- I believe it will be

What are you saying Joseph?

It's Catriona that is going to marry George Campbell.

Aye, Maybe it is.

Well that's great news!

Something like that it!

Amn't I after telling you dozen times, Mr Waggett,

that I cannot accept explosives on this ship!

Captain MacKechnie it is my duty to see that I am in a state of full defence.

How can I defend myself if my cartridges

do not fit my rifles?

It would be a bit awkward, right enough.

Awkward? It's more than awkward!

This kind of thing lead to the full of France.

A rule is a rule and a regulation is a regulation.

The ammunition arrived on the Island Queen!

Yes Yes, but Captain MacKechnie did not know then

that they was explosives.

If I had known I'd have never have brought them.

Don't you understand that I cannot get any.300

ammunition from ordinance

until this.303 gets back?

I had a wire from Obaig this morning.

- Yes? Sergeant welcome back.

- Can I be of any help sir?

- No!

Would it be all the same

if you sent back the.300

rifles and kept the.303 ammunition?

Then you could ask them to send the.300 rifles

so that we could use...

It would not be the same thing at all!

I'd rather have rifle and no ammunition

than ammunition and no rifles.

If I could make a suggestion, sir, we

could leave the stuff at Mr Macroon's shop.

Then you could take it up with Headquarters.

Not without a guard!

Now, finish of your compositions, children.

Don't make too much noise.

Is there anything the matter, mother?

To think that I should be hearing from others

that my own son is going to be married!

George Campbell, is this true?

Well, I only knew myself yesterday evening

that Catriona was...

You mean to stand there that and tell me

that you'd not been thinking of that girl

until yesterday evening?

Oh, I'd been thinking about her, yes!

Then why was I kept in the dark

about your thoughts?

By the time I'd got back

you'd gone to bed.

The bed I have made for myself

and on which I must lie!

This comes of spoiling my only child!

Spoiling me?

Spare the rod...

- You never did

- ... and spoil the child

Now look mother what would have

been the use of upsetting you and...

So you Knew that it would upset me! You knew it!

But you went on all the same

thinking only of yourself!

You've always thought only of yourself.

How many times as a child

have I caught you in the blackcurrants

when you knew perfectly well

that I wanted all the blackcurrants for my own jam

Mother, if I bring Catriona to tea,

will you be nice to her?

The day you bring Catriona Macroon

to this house

I walk out!

I'll go and live with your aunt in Glasgow

- But you hate Glasgow!

- Never mind!

"The Lord Chastiseth them that he loveth"

And who am I to set myself up

against the Lord?

There are more people in Snorvaig

But they are not so nice as the

people in Garryboo

Because they are so stuck up.

The Island Queen is a beautiful boat

but there was no Whisky this week.

And when there is no whisky,

we are all very sad.

Come along, get a move on there!

Not good enough you know!

Every time they move that roadblock

it's longer than the last!

How do you account for that?

Well I wouldn't say they are doing too badly you know

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