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The Most Remote Scotch Whisky Distilleries
Highland Park 15 Year Old
Highland Park emphasises its wild and natural surroundings of the Orkney Islands as being the main influences of its whisky. Located not too far from the Arctic circle, they produce their whisky using heather-rich peat grown on the windswept and rugged Hobbister moor and harness the salty sea air during maturation. The result is a dram like their award-winning 15 Year Old, which boasts flavours of cinnamon, citrus and, of course, aromatic, floral peat smoke.
The Hearach
Made by the close-knit community of Harris, The Hearach is the first whisky to be produced on the island since the Pabbay clearances of the 1840s - and the very first legal one. Their water source of Abhainn Cnoc a’ Charrain is remarkably soft, having travelled through Lewisian gneiss (some of the oldest rocks on earth). Despite the islands northerly latitude, their oceanic climate benefits from the currents of the Gulf Stream, meaning that seasonal temperatures are remarkably stable - improving the overall maturation process.
Clynelish 14 Year Old
The unique maritime character of Clynelish single malt whisky owes much to its remote location on the North East coast of Scotland, but even more to the skills of those who ensure its high quality. The barley that makes Clynelish is still malted in the Northern Highlands and water is still piped down from the Clynemilton Burn to the distillery. Serving as one of the four corners of Johnnie Walker, their only core single malt expression is Clynelish 14 Year Old, which is famous for its waxy, honeyed taste.
Old Pulteney 15 Year Old
Old Pulteney distillery is one of the most northerly distilleries on mainland Scotland, and was named as such by Thomas Telford (the ‘Father of Civil Engineering’), who designed ‘Pulteneytown’, a model village, and the port of Wick. At a time when the town was only accessible by sea, Wick became famous for two sources of prosperity barrels of silver (herring) and gold (whisky) which left the port in vast numbers. Famed as 'The Maritime Malt', their 15 Year Old carries the salty Caithness coastal air due to the years spent in the traditional dunnage warehouses on site, alongside flavours of toffee, chocolate and cinnamon.
Talisker Port Ruighe
A firm customer favourite, Port Ruighe is the Gaelic spelling of the once bustling trading port on Skye. Double matured in port casks, this malt is a toast to the Scottish traders who braved the high seas and were instrumental in founding the port wine trade, shipping it to the world. You must indeed be brave to make the journey all the way to the Talisker distillery on the western part of the Isle of Skye, as remote as it is rugged. This storm-battered, robust island has its spirit embodied in this whisky, with a powerful maritime and smoky character.
Isle of Raasay Single Malt R02.2
Located just north of the Isle of Skye, Raasay is a tiny Hebridean island of which the Isle of Raasay distillery makes its home. This is their flagship whisky, which is made using a combination of peated and unpeated spirit - inspired by older style smoky Hebridean single malts - for a wonderfully sweet-smoky flavoured dram. Notably, the dram is matured within six different types of cask, including virgin Chinkapin oak. Rooted in centuries of illicit distilling, the island was given its first legal dram in the form of this fabulous single malt combining tradition and innovation.
Nc'nean Organic Single Malt
Located in the village of Drimnin on the Morvern peninsula on the West Coast of Scotland, Nc'nean is an independent whisky distillery that is powered by 100% renewable energy. Their flagship malt benefits from the use of organic Scottish barley, and maturation in specially treated red wine and American whisky barrels, resulting in a creamy and earthy palate of peach, lemongrass and black pepper. Their remote location has also driven much experimentation, as they continue to get the most out of the three core ingredients: barley, water and yeast.
Jura 12 Year Old
Made by a tiny island community, on an island where the 200 residents are outnumbered by some 5,000 deer, Jura single malt is crafted using the crystal clear waters that run off ‘The Paps of Jura’, the tallest mountain range on the isle. Neighbours to the famous whisky isle of Islay, the remoteness of the distillery is evident even in its bottle design, with its broad shoulders and rounded edges originally designed to withstand rough sea journeys. In contrast to Islay, the whisky is light and fruity, with only a whisper of smoke on the finish.
