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274 Gaelic Society of Inverness.
profits. Tlie perniission to use siiiallor stills encouraged farmers
and others witli limited capital, who could not erect large distilleries,
to engage in a legitimate trade on a small scale, which
afforded a ready market for barley of local growth, and provided
whisky for local consumption. The relaxation of the Excise
regulations led to an improvement in the quality of the whisky
made by the licensed distiller, and the quality was further improved
by the permission in 1824 to warehouse duty free, which
allowed the whisky to mature prior to being sent into consumption.
These and ujinor changes led to the decrease in smuggling
in the Highlands shown in the following list of detections :
In 1823 the
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