The Times first reported 20 years ago how an local tot had been named after his parent's favourite dram.

Valerie and Alan Paterson named their new-born son Macallan because they enjoy drinking Speyside tipple Macallan so much.

Back in 2002, we reported how when bosses at The Macallan distillery heard, they laid down a case of 18-year-old single malt for the baby, to be collected after his 18th birthday.

Irvine Times: Macallan in the Times back in 2002.Macallan in the Times back in 2002. (Image: Times staff)

When we unearthed this story once more in our August 30 edition of the paper, Macallan's parents reached out once more - and we now get to learn what has happened, 20 years later.

“What can we say, he’s done a few things!” Valerie told the Times, and she isn't wrong.

She told that Macallan "liked his acting growing up”, and he has appeared as an extra in film 'Neds', on a BBC documentary and he was on the stage in the King’s Theatre in ‘Gypsy’.

In more recent times, he has been working in Asda, as he tides himself over for a high-flying career.

Aged just 17, Macallan gained his private pilot's licence from ACS Flight School in Perth, and only a few weeks ago finished off at Simtech in Dublin, where he has trained to be a commercial pilot. He now awaits his licence coming through before he can apply for jobs.

Though the real question on everyone's lips - what about the promised whisky?

Valerie admitted: “At the time, when he was just a baby, I thought ‘this is never going to happen’, you just can’t imagine 18 years passing – and here we are.”

Yes, Macallan did get his hands on his own personal cask, albeit, slightly after his 18th birthday.

This fell during a lockdown period, but once this was over last summer, Valeria, Alan and Macallan got collect the bottles from their distillery.

Irvine Times: The six bottles of whisky gifted to Macallan.The six bottles of whisky gifted to Macallan. (Image: Valerie Paterson)

Valerie explained: “Macallan (the whisky) invited us in, they gave us a lovely lunch and a tour around the distillery so we had a nice day out from Macallan which was lovely.

“He got his six bottles of whisky, and as soon as he came back he gave one to his Papa, because every year, over the years, his Papa would have a joke with him ‘how many years till I get my bottle of whisky’.

“They are saying each bottle is valued at £350. Though they are extremely rare and very hard to come by. When you go to any whisky shops, they’re just not there.

“It’s certainly been a good wee nest egg.”

And what about the other five bottles, what are the plans for those?

“Macallan’s thinking special occasions," Valerie answered, with Macallan himself adding “but definitely have a few to keep forever”.

The Times posed one final question to Valerie, do she and Alan still enjoy a Macallan whisky now, as much as they did 20 years ago?

She said: “We sure do – we just don’t pay £350 a bottle!”