‘Doctor Who’ Actor David Tennant Hikes the Mountains of Speyside in ‘200 Years Young’ Campaign for The Macallan Scotch

(Photo: The Macallan/Youtube)

Two hundred years on from its founding in 1824, The Macallan Scotch is still teaching consumers about the rich history of the Speyside brand. Earlier this year, the distiller released a commemorative 73-year-old single malt scotch that retailed at a headline-worthy £77,000 ($98,103). Now, the brand is teaming up with two famous Scots for its genre-bending “200 Years Young” campaign.

“Broadchurch” and “Doctor Who” actor David Tennant and singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé have been tapped to star in a wistful short film. The story follows Tennant as he travels through time and space to explore the legacy of The Macallan (the general idea of which will likely appeal to fans of “Doctor Who”).

In one timeline, Tennant works at an old-timey distillery rolling barrels and sullenly sipping samples before he strikes out on a trek across the mountains of Speyside. In another timeline, implied to take place two hundred years later, Tennant operates the distillery from behind a panel of sleek sci-fi doohickeys. The two versions eventually meet around a bonfire to sip a glass of scotch.

The short film is backed with an original song from Emeli Sandé titled “Roots.” In it, Sande sings, “Time will bring its changes, but our roots they will remain.”

In a news release, The Macallan said that its 200th anniversary embodies time travel in more ways than one.

“Two centuries have passed since Alexander Reid distilled the first batch of whisky in his curiously small stills and thus began the extraordinary legacy of The Macallan,” the brand said. “We are looking back on that legacy, everything that has been achieved and is still to come. ​It is a celebration of time travel – explored through five themes: Incomparable; Creativity, Craftsmanship, Legacy and Sustainability.”

In contrast to its 19th-century roots, The Macallan has often been eager to embrace futuristic aesthetics.

In March, the distiller collaborated with Bentley Motors on a $50,000 decanter that resembled a cross between a cigar and a spaceship. Made with recycled copper and finished with Bentley’s Crown Cut Walnut veneer, the eye-catching release contained whisky from six first-fill sherry-seasoned casks.

Join the Whiskey Raiders Bottle of the Month Club, where you will receive hard-to-find bottles curated by Whiskey Raiders staff with a 90+ rating on whiskeyraiders.com plus live virtual tastings. Sign up here!