Highland Park distillery is an Island single malt Scotch whisky distillery located in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands, Scotland. Is the second northernmost single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Scotland.

History

Highland Park distillery was founded by Magnus Eunson, 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. In 1937, Highland Park distillery was sold to James Grant & Sons of Glasgow. In 1979, the distillery was purchased by The Edrington Group, that also owned The Macallan distillery. In February 2023, Highland Park released a 54-year-old Single Malt Scotch whisky to celebrate Highland Park's 225th anniversary.

Production

The distilling process at Highland Park is the same as that used at other distilleries. Highland Park uses the local peat, which contains a higher proportion of heather than many other peats. The whisky is aged in sherry casks made of either American or European oak, purchased from Oloroso sherry producers in Spain.

Whisky

Highland Park range:

Classic collection

Highland Park 12 Year Old Highland Park 15 Year Old Highland Park 18 Year Old Highland Park 21 Year Old 2024 Release Highland Park 25 Year Old 2023 Release Highland Park 54 Year Old

Special Editions

Highland Park Cask Strength Release No. 5 Highland Park Single Cask Series: Cask No. 1494

Awards

Highland Park has been named "The Best Spirit in the World" on three occasions by F. Paul Pacult, America's foremost expert on distilled spirits. Its 25-year-old whisky was the first spirit ever to 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 won the Chairman's Trophy for Best in Category at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. In 2018, Highland Park ranked second, behind sister distillery The Macallan, in whisky auction sales driven by growing demand from whisky collectors for the distillery's special releases.