The Orkney Whisky Trail: Highland Park, Scapa & the Kirkwall Distillery
The trail at a glance
| Distance | About 4 miles — all three distilleries are in and beside Kirkwall |
| Time | One day easily; a weekend with the islands’ ancient sites |
| Distilleries | 3 — Highland Park, Scapa and The Orkney Distillery |
| Open to visit | All three, with daily or near-daily tours |
| Start / end | Kirkwall |
| Our take | The most compact whisky trail in Scotland — two famous malts and a new third, within a few minutes of each other |
Orkney has long had two famous whiskies, and a third distillery, the Orkney Distillery, began making whisky in 2024. They sit within a few miles of each other around Kirkwall, which makes the Orkney trail the easiest of all: a day on foot, bus or taxi, with plenty of time left for the islands’ Neolithic sites.
The three distilleries
Highland Park, above Kirkwall, is one of the most northerly distilleries in the world and one of the most admired: a balanced marriage of gentle heathery peat and rich sherry, made with Orkney peat and some of its own floor-malted barley, with six experiences plus walk-in flights. About two miles away, Scapa sits above the naval anchorage of Scapa Flow; in deliberate contrast to its peaty neighbour, it is unpeated — silky, honeyed and coastal — and retains a rare old “Lomond” wash still. Three tour tiers are offered, with a Kirkwall shuttle. Last, The Orkney Distillery on Kirkwall’s harbour made its name with Kirkjuvagr gin and began distilling single malt in 2024, with daily tours and tastings.
| Scapa → Highland Park | about 2 mi | ~5 min |
| Highland Park → The Orkney Distillery | about 1 mi | ~4 min |
Road distances and drive times from OpenStreetMap routing (a guide — allow for traffic, single-track roads and ferries).
Getting here & around
Orkney is reached by ferry from the mainland (from Scrabster to Stromness, from Gills Bay to St Margaret’s Hope, and from Aberdeen to Kirkwall) or by air to Kirkwall; check current sailings. Kirkwall itself is walkable, and between tours the standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar are within easy reach.
More whisky
- The full picture: Scotch whisky — regions, distilleries & the oldest of all.
- The oldest story: The Heritage Whisky Trail, which includes Highland Park.
- Back on the mainland: The Far North Whisky Trail.