Highland Park Distillery

Highland Park is Scotland's northernmost distillery, set on a windswept ridge above Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands, where Viking heritage and traditional floor malting still shape the whisky poured into every cask.

History & Heritage

The site's distilling history begins in illicit fashion. In the 1790s, Magnus Eunson, a butcher and church officer, is credited with running a clandestine still on the ground that would become Highland Park, using the local kirk as cover for his operation. The legal distillery was founded in 1798 by David Robertson, and in 1826, following a change in excise law that made licensed distilling viable, Robert Borwick took over and secured its license. Ownership shifted again in 1895 when James Grant, of the Glenlivet distilling family, purchased Highland Park. In 1937, Highland Distillers acquired the site, and in 1999, Highland Distillers itself, Highland Park included, was acquired by The Edrington Group, the Scottish spirits company that also owns The Macallan and The Glenrothes. Highland Park remains part of The Edrington Group's portfolio today.

The Whiskey

Highland Park is one of the few Scotch distilleries that still floor malts a meaningful share of its own barley, producing roughly 20 to 30 percent of its malt requirement on site rather than buying it in entirely from commercial maltsters. The peat used to dry that barley is cut from Hobbister Moor, a few miles from the distillery, and Orkney peat burns differently than mainland or Islay peat. It is composed largely of heather rather than tree roots and decayed wood, which gives Highland Park's smoke a floral, aromatic quality rather than the medicinal, tarry smoke associated with Islay malts. Process water is drawn from local springs, including the Cattie Maggie's Spring and Crantit sources, and mashing takes place in a stainless steel semi-lauter mash tun. Fermentation runs in twelve Oregon pine washbacks for 50 to 96 hours, and distillation is carried out in a set of two wash stills and two spirit stills. The spirit is matured predominantly in hand-selected, sherry-seasoned oak casks drawn from both European and American oak, and the distillery's annual production capacity runs to approximately 2.5 million litres. The core range spans from the entry-level Highland Park 10 Year Old through the 12 Year, 15 Year (Viking Heart), 18 Year (Viking Pride), 21 Year, 25 Year, and limited editions at 30 and 40 years old, with a 54 Year Old released to mark the distillery's 225th anniversary.

Why It Matters

Highland Park's reputation rests on the distinctiveness of its Orkney terroir: the heather-peated malt, the maritime maturation environment, and the sherry-cask program combine into a house style that critics have repeatedly singled out. Spirits writer F. Paul Pacult named Highland Park "The Best Spirit in the World" on three separate occasions and, writing in American Spirit Journal, called the 18 Year Old the best spirit in the world. The 25 Year Old received a perfect 100-point score at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, and the distillery's special releases, The Light and The Dark, each earned a Double Gold medal at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Highland Park also won the Chairman's Trophy for Best in Category at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge for four consecutive years running through 2019, and the 18 Year Old was a category winner at the 2023 World Whiskies Awards. The Sentinel Room's Reserve Whiskey Library carries four Highland Park expressions for those who appreciate good whiskey and want to taste the difference heather peat and Orkney maturation make against mainland and Islay styles.

Visiting the Distillery

Highland Park operates a visitor centre in Kirkwall offering a range of tours, from introductory sessions to more in-depth explorations paired with tastings across the range. Tours typically move through the mash room and warehouse, and Visit Scotland has recognized the visitor centre with a Five Star Visitor Attraction rating. Hours vary by season, generally Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm between April and September, with Sunday hours added from May through August, and a reduced Monday through Friday 1pm to 5pm schedule from October through March. Tour pricing starts around £10 to £30, with more extensive tasting experiences priced higher. The distillery observes a "Silent Season" for essential maintenance, typically running from late June to mid-August, during which tours may be disrupted, so advance booking is recommended, especially for premium experiences.