Born in England, Edward Compton, proud of his Scottish ancestry, revived the old family name of Mackenzie. As a writer, his range extended from serious novels admired by Henry James to semi-satircal sketches. His most famous novel tells the humorous story of a cargo of shipwrecked Scotch. Published in 1948, 'Whisky Galore!' was made into a memorable film by Ealing Studios the following year. Robert Westwater's portrait shows the writer towards the end of his career, surrounded by a clutter of papers, pipes and books in his study at 31 Drummond Place, Edinburgh.