Highland Park: Scotch Whisky, Orcadian Heritage

Highland Park is Scotland’s northernmost distillery, and has a character that’s uniquely Orcadian. Orkney was home to ancient Neolithic tribes well before the Vikings invaded from Norway 15 centuries ago, but both cultures have merged to create a unique place…that’s home to a unique distillery. We’ll look at what makes Highland Park different from other Scotch whiskies…and solve a mystery: how did a distillery that’s technically not in the Scottish Highlands get the name Highland Park?

Editor’s note: At the time this segment was produced in 2013, Highland Park was Scotland’s northernmost distillery. Since then, Wolfburn Distillery in Thurso has opened, and it is slightly farther north than Highland Park.