Scapa Distillery

Perched on the windswept shores of Scapa Flow, just south of Kirkwall on Orkney’s Mainland, Scapa Distillery has been quietly shaping its own corner of Scotch whisky history since the late 19th century. With Highland Park a mere 800 metres up the road, Scapa is part of a small and storied Orcadian whisky lineage, deeply influenced by Norse heritage, maritime life, and the rugged northern climate. Even its name reflects this past; Scapa is derived from a Norse word meaning “boat”, a nod to the Viking roots that still echo through the islands.

Founded in 1885 by Glasgow blending firm Macfarlane & Townsend, Scapa was established during a boom period when blenders were eager to secure distinctive malt whisky for their recipes. John Townsend, one of the firm’s principals, served as General Manager until 1919, when the distillery was sold to the Scapa Distillery Company. That same year, disaster struck when a fire nearly destroyed the site entirely. Salvation came in dramatic fashion, as sailors from the nearby Grand Fleet formed a human chain, hauling buckets of seawater to extinguish the flames and save the distillery.

Despite being rebuilt, Scapa’s fortunes remained turbulent. The distillery fell silent in 1934 when the Scapa Distilling Company went into liquidation, before being revived two years later under the ownership of Bloch Bros. In 1954, Scapa changed hands again, this time to Canadian drinks group Hiram Walker, later absorbed into Allied Distillers. Modernisation followed, including the installation of a Lomond still in 1959 and a refurbishment in 1978 — important changes that would help define Scapa’s distinctive spirit style.

Due to an oversupply of whisky, production ceased in 1994, and for a time Scapa’s future looked uncertain. Limited runs were carried out by the neighbouring Highland Park team from 1997 to prevent the otherwise neglected equipment from falling into disrepair, but by 2004 the distillery faced permanent closure. Instead, a £2.1 million restoration project breathed new life into Scapa. The revival was marked by the release of a 14 Year Old single malt, a significant moment in establishing Scapa as a standalone single malt rather than a blending component. When Pernod Ricard took ownership in 2005, full production recommenced, the range was refreshed, and the flagship expression evolved into a 16 Year Old.

Today, Scapa remains something of a rarity in modern Scotch whisky. It is one of the last manually operated distilleries in Scotland, staffed around the clock, and known for its long fermentations. While once they were reaching an industry-leading 120 hours, fermentation is now up to 70 hours, with a seven-day distilling week. The fruit-forward wash is distilled through a Lomond-style still with a substantial copper neck and purifier pipe, promoting high reflux and contributing to Scapa’s famously juicy, oily new make that's often cited as one of the most vibrant in Scotland.

Maturation takes place exclusively in first-fill American oak casks, hand selected from Tennessee and Kentucky and aged on Orkney. These casks lend Scapa its signature soft vanilla sweetness, balancing the distillery’s fresh, orchard-fruit character.

With the opening of a visitor centre in 2015 and the introduction of an expanded core range—now including 10, 16 and 21 Year Olds, Scapa has firmly claimed its place as one of Scotland’s most distinctive and quietly compelling Island distilleries.