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Rare bottle of Glenfiddich sells for £42,000

World Duty Free Group has emerged the winner of a unique charity auction for a rare bottle of Glenfiddich, which sold for £42,000.

The successful bid of Bottle No.7 of the Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve was announced at an event in London organised by William Grant & Sons to celebrate the life of “Wee Janie“, who died on 6 April at the age of 110.

The money raised by the auction will go to the Lotus Flower Trust, whose efforts to build schools for disadvantaged children in the remotest parts of India have attracted support from across the travel retail industry.

The 55 year old single malt Scotch whisky was created to honour Janet Sheed Roberts, the grand-daughter of William Grant, founder of the Glenfiddich Distillery.

Mrs Roberts celebrated her 110th birthday in August 2011 and was the oldest woman in Scotland.

To commemorate her life, only 11 bottles of the Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve will ever be released to the public, one to celebrate each decade of her life and to honour her legacy.

Each will be auctioned for the benefit of various charities around the world.

Sarah Branquinho, business relations & external affairs director for World Duty Free Group said: “This has been a wonderful and generous effort by William Grant & Sons. The children in Ramnagar will be eternally grateful to the Global Travel Retail team for choosing to benefit the Lotus Flower Trust and this project.”

Also unveiled on the night was a portrait of the late Janet Sheed Roberts with her family dog “Freuchie” and a portrait of her nephew and life president of William Grant & Sons, Charles Gordon.

Both paintings were created by celebrated artist John Wonnacott.

“We’re absolutely delighted that World Duty Free Group  should have come up with the winning bid – and a very generous one at that,” said Rita Greenwood, WGS managing director Global Travel Retail.

“Not least because WDFG’s own Sarah Branquinho is chair of trustees of The Lotus Flower Trust and she has played a very active role in bringing the plight of these poor children in India to the attention of all of us in travel retail.”

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