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 received its official licence in 1826 and is now owned by the Edrington Group, which also owns The Macallan.
Orkney peat and sherry casks
Highland Park uses local Orkney peat, which contains more heather than the peat found in many other parts of Scotland. That gives the whisky a sweet, floral, honeyed smoke rather than a medicinal one. The whisky is matured mainly in sherry-seasoned casks of European and American oak.
The bottle that started it all
The 12 Year Old is where Highland Park's modern story begins. When the distillery released its first official single malt bottling in 1979, it was a 12 year old, and it has been the heart of the range ever since.
Viking Honour
Orkney was ruled by Norse earls for centuries, and Highland Park proudly celebrates that Viking heritage. In 2017 the distillery gave its range a Norse-inspired new look, and the 12 Year Old took on the name Viking Honour. It has picked up a long list of awards, including a Double Gold at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and Gold medals at the International Spirits Challenge and The Scotch Whisky Masters.
The gift pack
This prize is a limited gift pack with two whiskies in one box:
- Highland Park 12 Year Old Viking Honour, the full-size bottle at the heart of the range
- A Highland Park Cask Strength miniature, a small bottle of the distillery's cask strength expression, bottled without being diluted with water, so it is more concentrated and powerful than the 12
It is a neat way to taste the same Orkney spirit twice: first in its smooth, honeyed everyday form, then at full strength.
In the glass
The 12 Year Old:
- Nose and palate: heather honey, dried fruit, citrus and vanilla
- Finish: gentle, aromatic peat smoke
The Cask Strength miniature is bolder and more intense, so try it second, with a few drops of water to open it up.
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
See who has already won a prize on our winners list, or browse all of our live whisky competitions for the next Orkney prize. You can also win a free bottle every month, and our FAQs explain how entries, draws and free postal entry work.