As a contractor specializing in kitchen and bathroom renovations, Craig Harrigan has seen his share of surprising finds while tearing down existing structures to refurbish clients' homes.
But last week, Harrigan discovered a bit of history — a note and a bottle of whisky — left behind by a previous homeowner 20 years ago.
In a now-viral TikTok video, which has been viewed over 127,000 times, Harrigan shares footage of himself and his apprentice, Fillip, revealing their discovery from the kitchen they'd been renovating.
"We found a message under the floor," Harrigan, who lives in Perth, Scotland, says in the TikTok, then proceeds to read said message: "Jack and me lived here — three kids and a dog. Kitchen done up during April-May 2001. All the best. Have a drink on us."
Harrigan, whose story was first reported by UK publication The Sun, told TODAY Food in an email that his apprentice found the 750-milliliter bottle of Glenkinchie, an aged single-malt Scotch whisky, zip-tied to boards beneath kitchen cabinets they had removed as part of the renovation.
At first, the pair thought the bottle was garbage — until Harrigan saw the note.
"I called on the customer and asked her to go in and look at it," Harrigan said. "She was very taken back by it, and after she took a couple of pictures, she informed me she was one of the children mentioned in the message."
Related
Harrigan learned his current customer had grown up in the house, and that her mom and dad had sold the home a few years after hiding the note. A couple years ago, his customer bought back her childhood home and is now renovating it.
Once he knew the sweet connection his customer had to the hidden treasure, Harrigan, a father of three, knew exactly what to do with it.
"Our customer had bought the house two or three years ago," said Harrigan, "so it was her father that wrote the note.
"After she told me that, I cut the section of floor out for her to keep along with the bottle."
Related
