16 men of Tain who crafted a whisky legend Scotland's biggest selling malt employs 400

In reality, Glenmorangie plc has expanded far beyond the distillery based on the Morangie Burn, overlooking the Dornoch Firth.

It now employs nearly 400 people and boasts an unrivalled position in the global malt whisky market.

As such, the revelation that the company is up for sale is likely to cause ripples among more than connoisseurs of fine malts.

Among its chief assets is the history in which the drink is steeped. The biggest selling single malt in Scotland, it has been available since the 1920s.

Although the Glenmorangie distillery was first licensed in 1843, references to whisky being distilled in the area date back much further.

The site had housed a meal mill from the 1550s, and a brewery from the 1820s, along with illicit distillation which went on in the area for most of that time. An estate inventory in 1703 mentions an ''aquavitie Pott with it ffleake and stand''.

The water used in its production comes from the Tarlogie Springs, about a mile from the distillery. Glenmorangie felt sufficiently strongly about protecting its interests in the source that it bought up the square mile or so of land surrounding it, an area rich in heather and clover.

Lightly-peated malt is used, and a house yeast. The stills are the tallest in Scotland, at 16ft 10.25ins.

In his recent book, Raw Spirit: In Search of the Perfect Dram, novelist Iain Banks praised Glenmorangie for its innovation in adding the malt to sherry, port and madeira casks, enabling it to produce a mellow alternative Glenmorangie.

As well as trading on its history, Glenmorangie's recent success has had as much to do with appealing to newer, younger drinkers.

A welcome breakthrough for the company in this regard was an episode of the US smash sitcom Friends, in which Monica, played by Courtney Cox, was pictured sipping Glenmorangie port finish malt.

The New York trendsetter was a far cry from the traditional image of whisky as an old man's tipple.

A high-profile advertising campaign based on branding the drink as originating in the Glen of Tranquillity - the English translation of Glenmorangie - has also helped boost its profile.

Key to these transformations has been the arrival of Paul Neep, who joined the firm as marketing director in 1997 and went on to become chief executive in November 2000.

Two years ago, he noted the variation with which Glenmorangie was perceived globally in an interview with the Sunday Herald, The Herald's sister paper.

While Scots regarded whisky as a traditional drink, the Spaniards, Greeks, Thais and Americans viewed it as trendy, he said.

Immediately after becoming chief executive, Mr Neep oversaw a major sales and marketing agreement with US drinks giant Brown-Forman, which extended the company's global sales force from eight to more than 100 staff.

The company's reputation is boosted by a visitor centre and the Glenmorangie House in Cadboll, Ross-shire, which was purchased by Macdonald and Muir, the owner of Glenmorangie, in 1989.

The sixteenth-century house was used for corporate hospitality and functions until 1998, when it was turned into a five-star hotel.

HISTORY OF GLENMORANGIE

1468 Establishment of Morangie and Tarlogie as chaplinaries of St Duthac's Church, Tain.

1494 First mention of whisky-making in the exchequer rolls of Scotland.

1703 Evidence of distilling at Glenmorangie - an ''aquavitae pott with it ffleake and stand'' is mentioned in the will of George Ross, great grandson of Thomas the Abbot.

1820 Establishment of a distillery at Tain.

1880 Record of Glenmorangie being exported to Rome and San Francisco.

1918 Glenmorangie is bought by Macdonald and Muir of Leith.

1931-1936 Distillery closed owing to the economic effects of the Great Depression.

1980 Number of stills at the distillery is doubled to four.

1990 Number of stills doubled again, to eight.

1994 Distillery shop opens and regular tours for visitors commence.

1997 Museum opens.