HAPPY 11Oth BIRTHDAY TO THE WEE JANIE!
Perhaps it’s the fresh Scottish air, maybe it’s good genes or possibly it’s indulging in a tipple of scotch, but whatever her secret, Scotland’s oldest lady, Janet Roberts, has reached the impressive age of 11O. The last surviving granddaughter of William Grant, the founder of Glenfiddich Distillery, Janet celebrated her 11Oth birthday on August 13. Born during the last year of the reign of Queen Victoria, Janet – or The Wee Janie, as she is known – is the matriarch of the Grant family, which still owns and runs William Grant & Sons. She studied at Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities, and while at Edinburgh studying law she met her future husband, fellow lawyer Eric Roberts, who went on to become Chairman of William Grant & Sons. Her nephew, Charles, remains active as Life President of the company at the age of 83, and her great-nephew, Peter Grant Gordon, is the current Chairman. Janet still lives within a few miles of Glenfiddich Distillery, situated in the whisky-producing heartland of Speyside. Sláinte to the Wee Janie!