Ian Curle, the chief executive of Scotch whisky distiller Edrington Group, topped up his pay package by more than 25% to a smooth £597,000, the company's latest set of accounts reveal.

Nonetheless, it was a strong year for Glasgow-based Edrington, the maker of Famous Grouse as well as The Macallan and Highland Park single malts, as it unveiled a 6.8% jump in underlying annual pre-tax profits to £68.9m for the 12 months to the end of March 2007.

Curle, who has occupied the top slot at the privately-held group since 2004, earned a salary of £290,000, excluding company pension contributions during the financial period, compared with £268,000 the year before.

However, that measure was bolstered by £122,000 worth of benefits, £20,000 from employee-share schemes and £165,000 from the company's annual incentive plan.

The Scotch whisky giant, which has its headquarters in Glasgow and employs more than 800 staff at five distilleries and a number of additional sites across Scotland, saw its turnover surge 5.7% to £278.5m during the financial period.

The company, whose other core brands also include its for-export blended Cutty Sark label, is owned by a charitable trust, which in the same year donated £7.4m to good causes in Scotland.

In Edrington's latest set of accounts, Ian Goode, who relinquished his long-time chief executiveship in 2004, said: "Amidst the optimism within the industry, there is one area of serious concern, namely the challenge of how to prevent the misuse of alcohol.

"The role of alcohol in society has a high priority within our business and the promotion of our brands in a socially responsible manner is of paramount importance."

The latest set of accounts also noted that Curle's accrued pension at the year-end was £102,000, compared with £98,500 the year before.

The Robertson Trust, which controls Edrington, was set up in 1961 by the three Robertson sisters who inherited the business.