Giant 4.5-litre (gallon) bottles of 57.3 per cent strength whisky priced at £350 each are set to hit stores.

The Ardbeg distillery says they will be the largest bottles of single malt on sale in the world.

Each one weighs 6.5kg (14lb) and is 52cm (20.5in) high.

Called Ardbeg Mor, the ten-year-old whisky comes from the Scottish island of Islay.

One thousand of the 4.5-litre bottles will be released worldwide, of which 250 go on sale in the UK.

Tim French, a buyer at London store Fortnum & Mason, one of the retailers which will stock the bottles, said: "Our customers are always looking for something special and unique. To say that they own a bottle of such unusual and rare whisky in a totally exclusive format is something that will appeal hugely to them."

Standard 70cl bottles of the Ardbeg ten-year-old single malt whisky which is 46 per cent in strength are already on sale, priced at £27.99.

The 4.5-litre bottles go on sale on Wednesday at a limited number of outlets in London and Scotland.