Highland Park Distillery
Orkney distillery founded 1798 — Scotland's northernmost mainland distillery; lightly peated Orcadian style.
Highland Park Distillery, founded in 1798 by Magnus Eunson in Kirkwall, Orkney, is Scotland's northernmost mainland distillery. Highland Park retains traditional floor maltings, kilns its malt over locally cut Orcadian heather peat (which contains heather and herbaceous material rather than maritime vegetation, producing a different phenol character than Islay peat), and uses a small proportion of sherry-cask maturation. The 12-Year-Old expression has been the long-running flagship. The distillery is owned by Edrington. Magnus Eunson, the founder, was a church beadle by day and reportedly an illicit distiller and smuggler by night before the 1798 licence.
Quick facts
- Type
- Distillery History
- Region
- Highland (Islands)
- Era
- 1798–present
- Origin
- Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland
Orcadian Peat
Highland Park's peat is cut from Hobbister Moor near the distillery. Unlike Islay peat (rich in decomposed maritime vegetation), Hobbister peat is dominated by heather, herbaceous plants, and sphagnum moss. Phenols from heather-peated malt produce a heather-honey, slightly herbaceous character distinct from Islay's medicinal smoke.
Sources & further reading (1)
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-05-15
Frequently asked questions
Was Magnus Eunson really a smuggler?
Magnus Eunson, the founder of Highland Park, is historically documented as a church beadle (officer) in Kirkwall who was reportedly involved in illicit distilling and smuggling before obtaining a licence in 1798. The story is part of Highland Park's brand heritage; the specific details vary across sources but the dual identity is accepted as historical.