Crime Short Story Competition rules and regulations
The Glencairn Glass short story competition – Competition rules and regulations:
The competition is open to all writers worldwide, published and unpublished, who are over 16 years old by 23rd October 2023.
Stories entered for the competition should not have been previously published in any format, online or print, self-published or paid.
Entry format required:
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- All stories must be in English, ideally 1.5 or double-spaced, 12pt.
- Files must be in Microsoft Word (.docx or .doc), rich text (.rtf) or in PDF format.
- The title of the story and page number should appear on every page. This should be inserted using the header format option.
- The total number of words excluding the title, should be listed at the end of the story. The maximum is 2000 words.
Submission: All stories must be submitted via the online entry form. Submissions are limited to one per author. No corrections can be made after submission.
Copyright: All stories submitted must be original, fictional, and entirely the author’s own work, not infringe the copyright or any other rights of any third party and not be defamatory of any living person or corporate body. All stories by finalists that are published on our website or in Scottish Field will be credited. The author will retain the copyright to their story.
Publication: Publication for the winner and runner-up will be online via the whiskyglass.com website and also at Scottish Field Magazine online. The overall winning story will also published in Scottish Field Magazine in the spring (2024).
Judging: All entries will be judged by a team of readers. A short list will be drawn up by this team and the final judging to select the winner and runner-up will be undertaken by the panel of three selected judges. The judge’s decision is final. Glencairn Crystal Studio cannot enter into discussion with any entrant in the judging process. We cannot provide feedback on individual stories
Publicity: By entering this competition all writers agree that if they are the winner or runner-up, their stories may be published on the whiskyglass.com and Scottish Field websites and the overall winner will be published in Scottish Field Magazine and their work may be used elsewhere for publicity purposes.
All finalists in the short story competition will be informed by email / telephone by the end of February 2024
Criteria For Entry
Short story must be 2,000 words or less.
The competition is open to all writers worldwide, published and unpublished, who are over 16 years old.
Stories entered for the competition should not have been previously published in any format, online or print, self-published or paid.
- All stories must be written in English
- Text should be 12-point font, ideally 1.5 or double-spaced
- Submissions must be uploaded as Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx), Rich Text (.rtf), or PDF files
- The story title and page number must appear on every page, using the document’s header function
- Please include the total word count (excluding the title) at the end of the story
- The maximum word limit is 2,000 words
All stories must be submitted via the online entry form.
Only one submission per author is permitted.
Please note that no corrections or changes can be made after submission.
All submitted stories must be original works of fiction, written entirely by the author.
Entries must not infringe copyright or any other rights of a third party and must not be defamatory of any living person or corporate body.
Stories by finalists that are published on the Glencairn Glass website or in Bloody Scotland will be fully credited.
Authors retain full copyright to their stories.
All entries will be assessed by this year’s judging panel, which includes six of the UK’s leading crime book influencers, alongside Kirsty Nicholson, Design and Marketing Manager at Glencairn Crystal.
The judges’ decision is final, and Glencairn Crystal Studio cannot enter into discussion with entrants regarding the judging process.
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide individual feedback on submitted stories.
By entering the competition, writers agree that if they are selected as winner or runner-up, their stories may be published on the whiskyglass.com and bloodyscotland.com websites.
Winning work may also be used elsewhere for publicity purposes.
Glencairn x Faitmaiz
Faitmaitz x Glencairn
Pierre Vennen
We’re raising a glass to 25 years of the Glencairn Glass, and to celebrate we’ve teamed up with the incredible Pierre Vennen. His bold, vibrant style and unstoppable energy bring colour and joy wherever he goes. From live art at whisky tastings to splashes of brilliance in distilleries and online, Pierre’s work breaks the mould – and we couldn’t be more excited to share it.
Your work is full of bold colour and fun - where does that energy come from day to day? Are there places, people, or even little rituals that fuel your creativity?
The spark comes from people, places, and a bit of madness.
I get my energy from being around people, late-night BBQs, whisky tastings in the man cave, music blasting, stories flying. It all ends up on the canvas loud, messy, alive. Instagram once called it violent; I call it life. And then, funny enough, I disappear into the mountains. Total silence. Big skies. That’s the other side of me. Between the noise and the silence, that’s where the colour lives.
You’ve collaborated with some incredible distilleries and makers. For anyone discovering your work for the first time, what do you love bringing to the (barrel-shaped) table? And if you could team up with any dream brand, who would it be?
What I love bringing to the barrel-shaped table is energy, curiosity, and a sense of fun. I connect the dots. That’s what I say when people compliment my work, I’m just connecting stories. I love bringing people and brands together and turning the unexpected into something alive. I don’t want to make art just to decorate. I want it to speak. Sometimes that means splashing whisky onto a canvas, mixing it with paint, or drying it with a blowtorch after painting it with a steak. Even the wildest ideas are always rooted in the story, so every piece becomes a one-off experience.
As for a dream collaboration, I’d love to team up with more artists and with brands that are ready to think differently and embrace the journey with me. I’ve started building a collective called Stir Your Soul, whisky, art, music, engraving, all live, all sensory. I want to give people more than liquid gold in a glass; I want to give them something they feel. And honestly, seeing clients and friends light up when they receive a painting, that’s already a dream come true
It’s clear you’re passionate about your craft but has whisky always been part of your creative journey, or did it sneak its way in somewhere along the line?
Whisky actually snuck into my journey when I was living in Aberdeen. Like most people, I started buying bottles in supermarkets, but just like with wine (yes my first journey started in France!), I quickly realised there was so much more than a label on the shelf. I wanted to meet the people behind it, learn the traditions, and understand the passion, patience, and audacity it takes to create a dram.
That really started when I met one of my best friend Nick Sullivan from the Aberdeen Whisky Shop, my true master in single malts and the one who introduced me to cask strength single casks. I’ll never forget the day I fell in love with my favourite whisky so far: a Cù Bòcan 1990. The beast got me right there in his shop! Today Nick and I work closely together, sharing our journey and bringing more people to the table. Being part of such an incredible community is an amazing feeling.
The classic question: what’s been your most memorable whisky moment so far? Is there one dram that instantly takes you back to a special time or place?
There have been so many other special moments too: painting in Campbeltown on my birthday, sipping Kilkerran whisky new make; live sessions at festivals; laser collaborations with my friend Ross. And the most recent highlight was in Lyon, where I was born. We painted live with Lauryne for 12 hours at Turntable Spirits’ launch, involving everyone. That canvas speaks louder than words.
Honestly, every project is alive for me, each one leaves a mark. But that first Cù Bòcan moment? That’s the one that lit the fuse.
LIVE ART
ARTWORK
BARREL ART
Weekly Whisky News- 5th of September
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday, 5th September 2025
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
New Whisky Releases: Glenmorangie’s A Tale of Spices & Port Ellen’s 200th Anniversary Edition.
Highland distillery, Glenmorangie, launched A Tale of Spices, the exciting new sixth release in the award-winning series. Finished for the first time in four different cask types, it captures the mosaic of flavours and colours found at a vibrant spice market. Read More
Port Ellen celebrated its 200th anniversary with a rare 42-year-old whisky – the Port Ellen 200th Anniversary Edition. Distilled in 1983, this marks the first limited release since the distillery’s reopening last March, with only 150 bottles available from October. Read More
Kingsbarns Unveils First 10-Year-Old Single Malt & Bruichladdich Showcases Octomore Series 16
Kingsbarns Distillery in St Andrews unveiled its first age-statement whisky, a 10-year-old single malt. Matured mainly in ex-Bourbon barrels with a touch of shaved, toasted and re-charred wine casks, it delivers a soft, balanced character with notes of summer fruits and vanilla. Read More
Bruichladdich in Islay revealed its 16th annual Octomore Series. Featuring three expressions, it celebrates creativity and experimentation by exploring the influence that barley, cask and high levels of PPM can have on whiskies bottled at five years old. Read More
Balvenie Releases Second Fifty Collection Edition & Fettercairn Launches Vanguard Series.
The Balvenie released the second edition of its three-part Fifty Collection. It features a blend of whiskies from two casks: a single European oak refill butt, which was also used for the first edition, and an American oak hogshead, both casks were filled in 1973. Read More
Fettercairn announced The Vanguard Series, a collection of whiskies that explore how we individually experience flavour through the senses. The debut features two releases: The Vanguard Rare 29 Year Old and The Vanguard 1st Release, each pushing the tropical house style in new directions. Read More
Weekly Whisky News- 29nd of August
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday, 29nd August 2025
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
New Whisky Releases - Lochlea’s Core Range Debut, GlenAllachie Sinteis Series, and Kilchoman’s 20th Anniversary Cask
Lochlea, the farm-to-cask distillery in Ayrshire, has unveiled its first permanent core range of single malts: The Lochlea Single Estate Range. Featuring three new expressions – Orchard & Oak, Dark Briar, and Smoke without Fire – the range joins the distillery’s much-celebrated core whisky, Our Barley. Read More
The GlenAllachie has introduced the second release in its Sinteis Series, showcasing the craft of dual maturation. This 2015 vintage brings together the bold influence of Scottish virgin oak with the depth of Oloroso sherry casks. Read More
To mark its 20th anniversary, Kilchoman Distillery on Islay launched a prize draw for a unique bottling of single malt from its first-ever cask. The bottling will be drawn directly from Cask No. 1, the first cask filled at the distillery on 14 December 2005. Read More
Weekly Whisky News- 11th October
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday 11th October 2024
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
Exclusive Whisky Releases: Kilchoman Port Cask, Hibiki 40-Year-Old, and Mortlach’s 50-Year-Old Finale
Speyside’s 43-Years-Old, Teeling’s Rising Reserve, & Kyrö’s Sauna-Finished Whisky
- Speyside Distillery, Tamdhu, announced its Dedication Collection starting with a 43-Year-Old whisky. Read More
- Dublin based Irish whiskey producer, Teeling, introduced the third chapter of its Rising Reserve 21Year Old single malt series. Read More
- The world’s first sauna-finished whisky – Sauna Stories No1 – was revealed by the Finnish distillery, Kyrö. Read More
Nikka Celebrates 90 Years with Nine Decades Blend, Crown Royal Unveils 31-Year Aged Whisky, and Brother's Bond Introduces 7-Year Bourbon.
- Japanese brand Nikka launches Nine Decades – a blend of over 150 different whiskies to mark 90 Years of Nikka, incorporating whiskies spanning from 1940s – 2020s. Read More
- Canadian whisky brand Crown Royal has released a third edition to its Extra Rare Series, aged for 31 years. Read More
- Brother’s Bond add a 7 Year Old Bourbon to their range that features a three-grain mash bill. Read More
- –For more on the latest whisky releases, join us at The Whisky Hub Weekly Whisky News every Friday
Glencairn Podglass - Episode 15 with Lew Bryson
Glencairn Podglass - Episode 15
The Glencairn Podglass brings you exclusive interviews with master blenders and industry experts, offering unparalleled insights into the whisky world.
Listeners can expect to hear first-hand stories about whisky production, blending techniques, and the craftsmanship behind every bottle.
Episode 15: Lew Bryson on Whisky Writing and Industry Insights
Glencairn Podglass - Episode 14 with Susan Morrison
Glencairn Podglass - Episode 14
The Glencairn Podglass brings you exclusive interviews with master blenders and industry experts, offering unparalleled insights into the whisky world.
Listeners can expect to hear first-hand stories about whisky production, blending techniques, and the craftsmanship behind every bottle.
Episode 14: Susan Morrison on the Scotch Whisky Experience
Glencairn Podglass - Episode 13 with Annabel Meikle
Glencairn Podglass - Episode 13
The Glencairn Podglass brings you exclusive interviews with master blenders and industry experts, offering unparalleled insights into the whisky world.
Listeners can expect to hear first-hand stories about whisky production, blending techniques, and the craftsmanship behind every bottle.
Episode 13: Annabel Meikle on Keepers of the Quaich and Scotch Whisky
Weekly Whisky News- 4th October
WEEKLY WHISKY NEWS
Friday 4th October 2024
Read on to get your weekly dose of news all about the UK’s latest whisky launches.
Every Friday we will bring you a quick round up of everything you need to know about what’s new in the world of whisky.
Dalmore Distillery Unveils Two New Releases: Cask Curation Series The Port Edition and The Portfolio Series
East Asia Whisky Debuts Macallan Mizunara Exclusives & Kingston Distillers Unveils World’s First Sloe Gin Cask Whisky
• East Asia Whisky Company revealed exclusive Macallan Mizunara Single Malts in stunning decanters handcrafted by our talented team here at Glencairn Crystal. Read More
• Kingston Distillers, the English gin producer, launched its first single malt whisky – Beckettes Single Malt English Whisky – announcing it as the first whisky in the world to have been matured in sloe gin casks. Read More
Kingsbarns Unveils Oldest Single Malt & The Macallan Celebrates 200 Years with New Harmony Collection Releases
- Kingsbarn Distillery on Scotland’s east coast announced it will be releasing a limited number of bottles of its oldest single malt whisky to date – Kingsbarns Distillery Reserve 2024. Read More
- Celebrating its 200th birthday, The Macallan launched two editions in its annual Harmony Collection – Harmony Vibrant Oak, and Harmony Guardian Oak. Read More
- –For more on the latest whisky releases, join us at The Whisky Hub Weekly Whisky News every Friday
Glencairn Podglass - Episode 12 with Frank Coleman
Glencairn Podglass - Episode 12
The Glencairn Podglass brings you exclusive interviews with master blenders and industry experts, offering unparalleled insights into the whisky world.
Listeners can expect to hear first-hand stories about whisky production, blending techniques, and the craftsmanship behind every bottle.
Episode 12: Frank Coleman on the Spirits Industry and the Distilled Spirits Council