Highland Park
Viking Soul, Orkney Spirit
Legend has it that Highland Park was founded by Magnus Eunson, a church officer who moonlighted as an illicit distiller. He allegedly hid whisky casks under the church pulpit and once evaded excisemen by draping a white cloth over the barrels and telling them it was a coffin containing a smallpox victim. They left quickly.
Highland Park's Orcadian peat is unique: it comes from heather-covered moorland rather than the mossy, boggy peat of Islay. Heather peat burns sweeter and more gently, giving Highland Park its signature 'heathery smoke' — perfumed rather than medicinal, delicate rather than aggressive.
The Story
Founded 1798
The distillery still maintains its own floor maltings (one of a handful left in Scotland) and hand-turns the barley over Orkney peat fires. It's slow, expensive, and labour-intensive. But there's no other way to get that particular character into the whisky.
The Highland Park Style
Highland Park's genius is balance. The heathery Orcadian peat provides a gentle smokiness. European sherry casks add dried fruit richness and honey sweetness. The cool, steady Orkney climate ensures slow, even maturation. Nothing dominates; everything harmonises.
The distillery uses a combination of European and American oak casks, with sherry seasoned European oak contributing the most to the house style. The result is a whisky that offers complexity without effort — you don't need to search for the flavours, they come to you.
Signature Notes
Highland Park 18 Year Old Viking Pride
Often cited as one of the greatest all-round whiskies in the world. Eighteen years in sherry-seasoned casks creates an extraordinary tapestry of heather honey, aromatic smoke, dark chocolate, and dried orange. Consistently rated among the top 20 single malts globally.
Whiskies from Highland Park
5 expressions in our collection · Average rating: 4.5
Visiting Highland Park
Orkney itself is the experience — ancient stone circles, Viking heritage, and dramatic coastal landscapes surround the distillery. The tour is warm, personal, and unhurried.
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