FAMOUS whisky liqueur brand Drambuie has been sold to William Grant & Sons.

The Scotch whisky distiller, owner of single malts Glenfiddich and The Balvenie, announced the deal after being linked with a bid for the liqueur in July.

Advisers for the owning MacKinnon family, made from a secret recipe which legend says was passed on by Bonnie Prince Charlie, had been courting offers for Drambuie since May.

William Grant & Sons' Chief Executive, Stella David said:  "We have a passion and a reputation for nurturing and building brands. Drambuie is a natural fit for our portfolio, it has a very rich history and a great story to tell and we are delighted to be in a position to start to re-engage with existing drinkers and to connect the brand with an entirely new generation of consumers."

Drambuie's CEO, Michael Kennedy said: "We are pleased to complete this process with William Grant & Sons, a company who holds true those family values which will help nurture Drambuie to begin its next chapter of growth. As part of the William Grant & Sons stable of brands, we believe that Drambuie can truly achieve its potential as it will benefit from being part of a larger and more diverse organisation. I look forward to working with the William Grant & Sons' team as we smoothly integrate the acquisition and help realise the benefits for both companies."

A family spokesperson for William Grant & Sons commented: "We have always been secret admirers of Drambuie. We are very grateful to the MacKinnon family for entrusting the future of this iconic brand to our family, and we will do our best to make them proud in the decades ahead."