TWO artists have embarked on an epic voyage from France to the Western Isles to produce the first ever whisky finished in casks made from a former fishing boat.

Maxime Berthou and Mark Polep are sailing 733 miles sailing from Trebeurden in Brittany, France, all the way to the Bunnahabhain Distillery in Islay, where they will dismantle their boat and turn it into whisky casks.

The pair have spent the last two years painstakingly restoring a wooden Brittany fishing vessel from 1941 back to its former glory, and it is now carrying them to Scotland.

Set to arrive in Islay at the end of the month, the oak boat will be dismantled and carefully crafted into handmade whisky casks which will be filled with Bunnahabhain malt spirit to mature.

Maxime Berthou said: "The inspiration for this project stems from the human longing for new discoveries and nostalgia for traditional, handmade craftsmanship, something we've moved away from in today's modern society.

“For Mark and me, this is a journey about transformation, adventure, passion, labour and whisky. It has taken us two years to get to this stage and we are excited to finally be on our way to Bunnahabhain."

Alison Gibb, Global Marketing Manager at Burn Stewart said: “We are really excited to announce the Hogshead 733 collaboration with Maxime and Mark. Bunnahabhain, with its rich tradition of nautical tales, makes us a natural partner for the project.

"We wish them lots of luck on their journey and look forward to welcoming them at Bunnahabhain Distillery.”