Don’t panic! It’s only temporary.
Last week, Highland Park announced that they are closing for the coming months as the distillery undertakes an ambitious renovation project geared toward reducing the site’s carbon emissions by 20%.
As such, production has ceased at the Kirkwall distillery and tours and tastings have been suspended for much of 2024. The work is expected to continue into the winter but it is hoped the distillery will reopen by the end of the year
One of the main features of these environmental upgrades is a new heat recovery system that will capture heat used during distillation and reuse it for other parts of the production process. This will remove the need to burn coke for fuel at the distillery. In turn this is estimated to save 1000 tonnes of CO2 annually, the equivalent of 24,000 flights between Inverness and Kirkwall.
Upgrades will also be made to the mashing and fermentation equipment. A new mash tun and 12 washbacks will be installed, improving the distillery’s overall water and energy efficiency.
Fans of the famous Orcadian distillery need not worry; anyone visiting Kirkwall won’t be totally left without a Highland Park experience. The distillery’s official whisky store on Albert Street will remain open and will be offering a range of tasting events during Highland Park’s closure.
For updates on the renovation and the distillery’s eventual reopening you can sign up to Highland Park’s mailing list.
