Nestled in the far northern wilds of Orkney, Highland Park is the most northerly distillery in Scotland, beating out its neighbour Scapa by just half a mile. A distillery with a fabulous pedigree of over 200 years of history, it places a heavy emphasis on tradition, with Highland Park maintaining a floor malting. Incredibly consistent, their flagship 12 year old bottling is a key part of every whisky drinker’s journey.

Timeline

1. Prior to 1798

   The local church beadle and noted illicit distillery and smuggler Magnus Eunson founds a distillery on the hills above Kirkwall, Orkney’s largest settlement. Mansie, as he was known, would store barrels of whisky within the church, and Alfred Barnard in his milestone text Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom reporting an infamous instance: "Hearing that the Church was to be searched for whisky by a new party of excisemen, Eunson had all the kegs removed to his house, placed in the middle of an empty room and covered with a clean white cloth. As the officers approached after their unsuccessful search in the church, Eunson gathered all his people, including the maidservants, round the whisky, which, with its covering of white, under which a coffin lid had been placed, looked like a bier. Eunson knelt at the head with the Bible in his hand and the others with their psalm books. As the door opened they set up a wail for the dead, and Eunson made a sign to the officers that it was a death and one of the attendants whispered "smallpox". Immediately the officer and his men made off as fast as they could and left the smuggler for some time in peace." He was later arrested for his crimes.

2. 1798

   On the same site David Robertson founds Highland Park, becoming extremely successful.

3. 1813

   Robert Pringle, one of the excise men that had hunted for Eunson, and who would later establish the successful cashmere and knitwear company "Pringle of Scotland", purchases the High Park estate (after which the distillery is named) grounds, including the distillery itself.

4. 1816

   In an another ironic twist, the excise officer who had arrested Eunson- the first distiller on the site, John Robertson- a probable relative of David, gains control of operations. Indeed, some suspect that Eunson made a deal with him over the distillery’s ownership in order to avoid court.

5. 1818

   The distillery is officially named "Highland Park".

6. 1826

   Highland Park is licensed for the first time, and Robert Borwick becomes distillery manager.

7. 1840

   Highland Park is taken over by Robert Borwick’s son George, who oversees a period of decline and deterioration in the distillery and its fortunes.

8. 1869

   James Borwick, the younger brother of the Borwick family, inherits the distillery after George’s death. Like Eunson before him, James Borwick was a local clergyman- a priest. Unlike Eunson however, Borwick had little interest in distilling and consider it opposing to his religious duties as a priest. Highland Park further declined under his management, as production was slowed and attempts were made to sell the distillery.

9. 1876

   Eventually, prominent whisky company Stuart & Mackay begin to have some say in the business, and fortunes improve as exports to both Norway and India are made.

   Around this time Highland Park begins to be used by many blenders in their blended Scotch, notably Ballantine’s, Haig and Chivas.

10. 1895

    The Grant family, of Glenlivet fame (not to be confused with the Grants of Glenfiddich), take over the distillery.

11. 1898

    James Grant immediately sets about improving the distillery’s facilities, expanding the stills from 2 to 4, doubling capacity.

12. 1937

    After weathering the storms of World War One and Prohibition, and many years successful distilling, Highland Park is purchased by Highland Distilleries, an ancestor of the Edrington Group, that continues to own the distillery to this day.

13. 1979

    In response to Glenfiddich’s enormous success with producing "single malts", Highland Park’s marketing is vamped up, and its focus is switched to producing single malt whiskies. Sales increase notably.

14. 1984

    Highland Park achieves the astonishing feat of being the first and only distillery to receive a perfect score of 100 points from The Scotman’s team of expert whisky tasters.

15. 1986

    Again proving to be a canny operator in the field of marketing, Highland Park opens up a visitor centre at the distillery.

16. 1990s

    The classic 12 year old expression was renowned in the 1990s for its high quality, with some suggesting it was undervalued.

17. 1997

    Highland Park expands its standard range, to include an 18 year old and a 25 year old.

18. 1999

    Edrington Group and William Grant & Sons acquire 50% of Highland Distillers each, gaining control of Highland Park.

19. 2000

    The visitor centre at Highland Park, which had received over £2million worth of investment from the distillery, is awarded with Visit Scotland’s Five Star rating.

20. 2005

    Alongside several other distilleries, Highland Park marks 2005 by releasing a 30 year old expression.

    Paul Pacult names Highland Park the "Best Spirit in the World" in his ‘Spirit Journal 100’.

21. 2007 & 2009

    Highland Park 25 wins double gold at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition.

22. 2010s

    Highland Park has paid homage to Orkney’s Nordic and Viking history, releasing several limited bottlings around the theme of a different Viking God, known as the "Valhalla Collection". These are non chill filtered and cask strength, and presented in wooden Viking longboats.