"We are extremely proud to win this award. This is a huge credit to the Estate, and especially Sandy Mackenzie, grieve, who has been responsible for carrying out the field work for over 20 years. We are also grateful to Ian Abbott of Scotgrain Agriculture and the Scottish Agriculture Advisory College for working closely with Sandy in selecting the right seed varieties and crop management to help achieve this high quality barley for the whisky industry."

Ian Abbott, of Scotgrain Agriculture, based in Elgin, said:

"Producing high quality malting barley is as much an art as a science. It's a tribute to Sandy Mackenzie's remarkable skills in bringing together all the right factors: the seed, the planting schedules and so on, to produce such fine barley. We're delighted for Rothiemurchus in winning this award, and very pleased to have played our part in this achievement."

Ian Mackie, Distilling Director of Whyte and Mackay, welcomed the winners to Dalmore Distillery, and stated "I am delighted that the competition has been won by two local farmers."

Sandy Mackenzie was presented with a presentation quaich and a bottle of Dalmore, and Ian Mackie ended by saying, "It gives me great pleasure to make this presentation in recognition of the excellent quality barley you have supplied to us."

Sandy Mackenzie, in thanking Bairds Malt, Scotgrain, Whyte and Mackay and the Dalmore distillery for the award said:

"We always pay attention to the advice given; I try to judge my field work with the weather as best I can; in 2004 we were lucky in that we did not suffer any drought and at harvest time the weather brightened up just at the right time."