Mention ‘Highland single malt’ and thoughts turn to whiskies such as Aberfeldy, Glenmorangie, the Dalmore, Clynelish, Old Pulteney, and Oban. But what about Benbecula, Talisker, Torabhaig, and Shetland? For they too are produced in the Highlands region, as defined by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). A spokesperson declares, “This region, which also takes in the islands, has a huge diversity of flavours and characters. From lighter whiskies all the way through salty coastal malts, the Highlands offers a Scotch for all palates.”
The Highlands is the largest malt whisky production region geographically by far, and would be so even without the inclusion of ‘islands’. It embraces all malt distilleries north of the theoretical Highland Line that runs between the Firth of Clyde in the west and the Firth of Forth in the east, with the exceptions of Campbeltown and Islay.
The extremities of ‘the Highlands’ for malt whisky production purposes include Glengoyne in Stirlingshire, which straddles the Highland Line in the south, Shetland in the far north, Abhainn Dearg on the Isle of Lewis in the west, and Arbikie in the east. There are 49 whisky distilleries operational in the Highlands region, making it numerically a close second to Speyside.
But perhaps there is something faintly farcical about a Highlands category that includes Lochranza in the north of the Isle of Arran, but not its sister distillery of Lagg, 25 miles south on the same island, which is categorised as Lowland.
One senior figure closely connected to an island distillery, who did not wish to be named says, “From a marketing point of view, an ‘Islands’ category could be useful, to market the region specifically, but otherwise, the whole thing doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny, and should be scrapped. United Distillers & Vintners, with its Classic Malts collection in 1988, with one for each area of production, was probably the genesis of people really looking at whisky by regions.
“But if you had an Islands category or a Hebridean category — why would you do it? What would happen to Islay if you had an Islands category? Islay has no regional style. And it’s not like Burgundy as a wine region, where it’s not just about geography but the variety of grapes you can use, maximum production per annum, and so on. Very specific and strict.”
The Isle of Harris distillery has been operating at Tarbert since 2015, and this year launched its Hearach single malt to significant acclaim. Simon Erlanger, managing director of Isle of Harris distillery, says, “There was a time when the production regions reflected flavour characteristics to a degree, but I think that’s now diluted, though not irrelevant. But including island distilleries in the Highland category certainly seems daft.
“We consider ourselves Hebridean — flying the flag for Hebridean distilleries. Bill Dobbie of Isle of Raasay and I were instrumental in setting up the Hebridean Whisky Trail. It’s quite low-key but there is a week-long festival each September. We are keen that Hebridean distilleries are recognised as such, and it’s such a fascinating place in terms of landscape, people, history, and culture. I’d love to see the Hebrides as an official designation, and I have raised this with the SWA.”
A spokesperson for the SWA says, “It has long been customary to sell single malt Scotch whiskies accompanied by a locality or regional geographical name to indicate where they were distilled. To protect and promote these names, UK legislation, the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, define the five major traditional locality and regional geographical indications, which are Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Islay, and Campbeltown.
“Campbeltown, Speyside, and Islay are also within the Highland region, and distillers in these areas have a choice of which descriptions to use. These regional names can be used to supplement the category descriptions used for Scotch whisky on labels, such as ‘Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky’, if all the whisky was distilled there.”
The spokesperson continues, “It has become common for some to talk about ‘Islands’ whiskies, but ‘Islands’ is not a Scottish place or Scottish regional name, and therefore cannot be used as a description to supplement the category name.”
So much for contentious categorisation, but let’s examine what is happening on the ground in the Highlands area of malt whisky production as it exists today.
On the mainland, in the far north county of Caithness, Pulteney in Wick is undoubtedly the biggest beast, but the northernmost distillery of 8 Doors, where spirit first flowed in September 2022, is doing a thriving trade in tours and retail sales while casks are being filled with spirit. This is, in part, thanks to its plum position in the centre of the far-famed John O’Groats village, and on the North Cost 500 driving route.
A few miles away, in Castletown, Martin and Claire Murray of award-winning Dunnet Bay Distillers are in the hugely ambitious process of converting a long-derelict grain mill into a whisky distillery and visitor centre, destined to produce Stannergill single malt whisky.
Heading south from Caithness, the Diageo duo of Clynelish and neighbouring Brora offer a range of visitor experiences, with Clynelish having been reimagined as the ‘Highland home of Johnnie Walker’ during 2021. Dating back to 1819, Brora made a triumphant return to the land of working distilleries in the same year, and now offers exclusive tours and tastings, with prices starting at £300, and with advance booking essential.
Glenmorangie and Dalmore are two of the biggest names — and best-selling single malts — from the northern Highlands, and offer contrasting whisky profiles, with Dalmore concentrating on lengthy sherry-cask maturation after initial bourbon-cask ageing. The brand is also responsible for achieving some record-breaking prices over the years, and, in June, a decanter of 49-year-old the Dalmore Luminary No 2 sold at Sotheby’s for more than £90,000.
Dalmore distillery is undergoing a major expansion programme, to double production to around nine million litres per annum, and once reopened to the public next year, expect Brora-style admission prices, with exclusivity the name of the game.
Whisky making in the Highland capital of Inverness ceased during the 1980s, but made a triumphant return last year, courtesy of Uile-bheist. The venture is described by co-founder and hotelier Jon Erasmus as Scotland’s first ‘brewstillery’, producing beers alongside whisky in an attractive new building adjoining Erasmus’ Glen Mhor hotel and Waterside restaurant, beside the River Ness in the centre of the city.
All equipment was supplied by German brewing company Kaspar Schultz. Head distiller Drew Shearer says, “We are making a very light single malt style. We use brewer’s yeast to maximise fruitiness, and the ‘ball’ in the still and the lye arm configurations are set up to produce a lighter spirit style. Malt is sourced from Baird’s, which has a maltings plant in the city.
“Hopefully we’ll have something really decent in three years in a good-performing cask but we’ll see how it matures. Nothing is set in stone as to when we’ll bottle it.”
In the meantime, Uile-bheist is in itself a destination, courtesy of a well-stocked whisky bar, a range of beers brewed on the premises, and several tour options.
Around 27 miles east of Inverness, and just outside the Speyside regional boundary, Dunphail distillery has taken a ‘back to the future’ approach to distilling since it came on stream in September 2023. Dunphail uses the motto ‘taking the traditions of the past to shape the whisky of tomorrow’, and those traditions include on-site floor malting, very long fermentations lasting 144 hours, and the use of direct-fired pot stills.
Dunphail is producing around 100,000 litres of both peated and unpeated spirit per annum, and according to Matt McKay, director of whisky creation and outreach, “Dunphail’s spirit is a product of our traditional production methods, and it possesses a remarkably deep and fruity character, offering exotic tropical fruits, combined with a full-bodied and rich mouthfeel. It’s a flavour journey of prominent sweet fruitiness combined with a velvety texture — the ideal foundation on which to develop our single malt whisky.”
In many ways, the Dunphail team is operating in parallel with the Thompson brothers, who employ similarly traditional methods at their Dornoch distillery. Phil and Simon Thompson began distilling in a small former fire station building behind the family’s Dornoch Castle Hotel in 2016. Their focus is on using floor-malted heritage barley varieties and brewer’s yeast, while practising seven-to-10-day fermentations and slow distillation. Work is due to start this year on the development of a new, larger distillery in a building that was once the town’s gas works.
Meanwhile, Ardnamurchan and Nc’Nean have revitalised the lonely Western Highlands sub-region, formerly home only to the Oban and Ben Nevis distilleries. At the time of writing, planning permission is being assessed for the latest projected Highland distillery, to be constructed at Inveraray Castle in Argyllshire. The £25 million project is the brainchild of Stock Spirits Group, owner of the Clan Campbell blended Scotch brand.
Meanwhile, in the eastern Highlands, Fettercairn is celebrating its 200th anniversary, an event somewhat overshadowed by the Speyside trio of The Glenlivet, the Macallan, and Cardhu’s commemorations of their two centuries of distilling. However, Fettercairn is releasing a statement 200th Anniversary Collection, comprising six bottles with a combined age of 200 years. Just 10 sets have been produced, and each one retails for £100,000.
Perthshire has long been a draw for distillery visitors, courtesy of Aberfeldy, Blair Athol, Deanston, Edradour (now closed to visitors), Tullibardine, and Glenturret, but the latter has upped the ante in dramatic fashion in the past couple of years. It is the only Scottish distillery with a Michelin-starred restaurant on the premises, not to mention the sole UK Lalique boutique outside of London.
Another Perthshire distillery has been in the news in recent months, as Strathearn launched its well-received inaugural release in April. According to Cara Laing, managing director of distillery owner Douglas Laing & Co, “It’s a big, wholesome, hearty, robust whisky, with a real depth of flavour. Mouthcoating, with dried fruit and baking spices coming through.”
Leaving the mainland, the Highland category’s ‘islands’ landscape is changing dramatically, with Lerwick Distillery, Shetland’s first whisky distillery, opening in the town this year.
Glenfiddich veteran Ian Millar has been recruited as consultant to the venture, and he explains what the liquid is likely to taste like. “In terms of spirit style it is more in line with a typical Speyside malt, where the use of both American and European oak prevails, but looking for a slight twist.”
To the south, on the Orkney Islands, the long-established duo of heavy-hitting Highland Park and its neighbour, Scapa, have been joined by the Orkney Distillery, previously responsible for Kirkjuvagr gin, and now distilling single malt whisky. The intention is to use the heritage bere barley variety that has survived in Orkney for some future distillations. The same grain will be employed by Kimbland Whisky Distillery on the northern Orkney Island of Sanday, where a ‘carbon-negative’ single malt is to be produced.
Over to the west in the Outer Hebrides, the MacMillan family’s remarkable ‘lighthouse with a pot still in it’ on Benbecula began making whisky in June, and bere barley also features in this operation. Intriguingly, Angus MacMillan notes, “Our malt will be kilned over fires that we lay with peat and foraged heather; a revival of a rare malting technique completely unique in Scotland today, and from a recipe last used by distilleries such as Glen Ord and Highland Park in the 19th century.” Also, on Benbecula, Jonny and Kate Ingledew should not be too far behind the MacMillans in producing whisky at their North Uist distillery, located at Nunton Steadings.
Heading south to Barra, Isle of Barra Distillers Co is offering equity shares to help fund its plans to build a combined gin, rum, and whisky distillery, and the keenest of connoisseurs may also spend £1,000 ordering (anticipated 2030) one of 1,174 initial bottles of Isle of Barra single malt.
Whatever doubts may be harboured regarding the scope of the ‘Highland’ category, the distilleries it embraces offer an incredibly diverse range of drams, with new whisky-making ventures joining old favourites to make this the most vibrant region of malt whisky production in Scotland.
