The Distillery
The Vikings who came to Orkney arrived as invaders – blending into Orkney’s remote island communities, our home became their own.
Magnus Eunson, a direct Viking descendant, founded the Highland Park Distillery in 1798 with integrity and fierce independence, values which stand true to Highland Park Whisky today.
Our whisky is as unique as the islands themselves, our Orcadian peat, mainly derived from heather, creates a sweet and smoky balanced taste that has made Highland Park famous the world over.
Magnus Eunson, a direct Viking descendant, founded the Highland Park Distillery in 1798 with integrity and fierce independence, values which stand true to Highland Park Whisky today.
Our whisky is as unique as the islands themselves, our Orcadian peat, mainly derived from heather, creates a sweet and smoky balanced taste that has made Highland Park famous the world over.
Highland Park distillery is the northernmost single malt Scotch whisky distillery in the world, located in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands off the far north coast of Scotland.
Magnus Eunson was a butcher and church officer by day and illicit distiller and whisky smuggler by night. In 1798 he was caught illegally distilling whisky on the site. In 1826, nearly 30 years later, Highland Park received an official licence to distill whisky.
The name of the distillery does not refer to the Scottish Highlands, but rather to the fact that the distillery was founded on an area called ‘High Park’ distinguished from a lower area nearby.
Highland Park is considered by whisky insiders one of the greatest single malts in the world. It has been named “The Best Spirit in the World” on three occasions by F. Paul Pacult, America’s foremost expert on distilled spirits. Highland Park has also performed well in international spirit ratings competitions. Its 25 Year Old whisky was the first spirit to ever receive a perfect 100-point score at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. In 2018, two of its special distillery releases, The Light and The Dark, were each awarded a Double Gold medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition In 2019 and for the fourth year running,Highland Park took home the Ultimate Spirits Challenge’s top honour, the Chairman’s Trophy for Best in Category.
Why Highland Park Stands Apart
Location: Our distillery on Orkney, located off the extreme north coast of Scotland, where the North Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Wild, windswept, and fiercely independent.
People: Our small, highly skilled distillery team on Orkney, where one in three islanders shares the DNA of the Vikings who settled on our shores over 1,000 years ago.
Whisky: Our five keystones of production: aromatic peat from Hobbister Moor; handturned floor maltings; sherry seasoned oak casks; cool maturation in our temperate island climate; cask harmonisation
The Distillery
Fiercely proud of it’s Viking heritage, its storm-beaten island, and how the two unite to create something truly unique. Highland Park distillery is the northernmost single malt Scotch whisky distillery in the world, located in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands off the far north coast of Scotland, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the North Sea.
Highland Park is proud of its land, heritage, and of course – the distillery. The single malt brand encourages everyone to make their way to the islands of Orkney and experience their award-winning tours.
From discovering the 18th century distillery in all its glory, to accessing the private tasting room and sampling the award-winning whiskies, this distillery experience is not one to be missed. For the ultimate Orkney experience we recommend a visit to St Magnus Cathedral and Skara Brae.
Tasting Notes
Spirit of the Bear and Highland Park Whisky Wings
