Bottles of rare Scotch whisky have climbed in value by 24% over the past 12 months.

That's according to fresh figures from whisky price tracker Rare Whisky 101.

The past six months have seen rare Scotch values soar by 19%

The firm's research, which tracks the top 100 investment-grade bottlings, also revealed that much of that increase (19%) has come in the past six months of 2016.

The leading performers during that time were two Macallans, the 18 and 25 year old. They were up 29% and 27%, respectively.

The Dalmore and Brora distilleries also continue to perform strongly.

Andy Simpson, co-head of Rare Whisky 101, commented: "For some in the broader Scotch category, export and sales figures still appear challenging. However, the secondary market for rarities shows little of this stress and 2016 is shaping up to be yet another record year for rare whisky.

"As the secondary market continues to grow and mature, so the profile of the buyer has changed," he explained. "We're beginning to see the arrival of more high net worth buyers - be they connoisseurs, collectors or investors - and we are now seeing an emerging group of professionals entering the market."

Away from the Scotch, whisky from the closed Japanese distillery of Kariuzawa has been soaring in value in recent months. A bottle of Kariuzawa 1960 50-year-old sold for $62,905 at Bonhams Hong Kong in January, up 138% on estimate.

The world record for a whisky bottle at auction remains the $628,205 sale of a Macallan M Decanter in 2014.

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