A distillery at the edge of Scotland
Highland Park sits in Kirkwall on Orkney, the group of islands off Scotland's far north coast. It is one of the most northerly whisky distilleries in Scotland, and its windswept island home shapes everything about the whisky made there.
Born from a smuggler
The distillery's story begins in 1798 with Magnus Eunson. By day he was a butcher and a church officer. By night he was an illicit distiller and smuggler, and that year he was caught making whisky illegally on the site where Highland Park stands today. The distillery went on to receive its official licence in 1826.
Orkney peat
Highland Park uses local Orkney peat, which contains more heather than the peat found in many other parts of Scotland. That heather-rich smoke is a big part of the distillery's signature: smoky, but with a sweet, floral, honeyed edge rather than the medicinal punch of some Islay whiskies.
Sherry casks at the heart
Highland Park matures its whisky in sherry-seasoned casks of American and European oak, sourced from Oloroso sherry producers in Spain. The distillery is owned by the Edrington Group, which bought it in 1979 and also owns The Macallan.
The Warrior Series
Orkney was ruled by Norse earls for centuries, and Highland Park leans proudly on that Viking heritage. In 2013 it launched the Warrior Series, a range of six no-age-statement whiskies made exclusively for airport and duty-free shops. Each one took the name of a Viking warrior.
The series was built as a ladder of flavour. Each step up added more whisky aged in European oak sherry casks, making every release richer and more intense than the one before, and the price climbed with it.
Harald
Harald was the third warrior in the series, after Svein and Einar, and the richest of that first trio. Its name honours a Norwegian king known for commanding a vast army. Harald is bottled at 40% ABV, and at launch it sold for around €75 in European airports, the top of the first three releases.
In the glass
- Sweetness: heather honey and rich, rounded fruit
- Smoke: aromatic Orkney peat, more cigar-box than bonfire
- Spice: ginger, warm spice and a peppery edge
- Finish: rich oak with a drying, gently smoky close
New to picking out flavours like these? Our guide on how to taste whisky like a pro walks you through nose, palate and finish step by step.
More from the Vault
Highland Park Harald has also featured in our Vault Raid series, so keep an eye out for the next one.
See who has already won a bottle on our winners list, or browse all of our live whisky competitions. You can also win a free bottle every month, and our FAQs explain how entries, draws and free postal entry work.