Scapa Distillery

Macfarlane & Townsend established Scapa in 1885 on the banks of the Lingro Burn, which flows into Scapa Flow. The location, though remote by Scottish mainland standards, offered pure water piped to avoid peat contamination and proximity to the harbour for shipping finished spirit.

On 16 January 1919, fire broke out at the distillery and threatened to destroy it entirely. Sailors from the remnants of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet — still occupying Scapa Flow in the aftermath of the First World War — intervened, forming a human chain to carry buckets of seawater from the Flow to douse the flames. The distillery was saved.

In 1954 Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd acquired Scapa and undertook a significant rebuild. Allied Distillers purchased the operation in 1987 when they acquired Hiram Walker, and in 1994 mothballed the distillery. Limited production was carried out from 1997 using staff from neighbouring Highland Park, to keep the buildings maintained and prevent the warehoused stock from becoming the entire brand.

After Allied Domecq invested £2.1 million to restore the site in 2004, full production resumed in October 2005 under Pernod Ricard, who had acquired Allied Domecq. The brand was relaunched and a visitor centre opened in 2015. The distillery has operated continuously since, producing approximately 1,000,000 litres of spirit per year.

Scapa operates with one wash still and one spirit still. Unusually, the wash still was originally a Lomond still — a hybrid design with a rectifying column that allows greater control over spirit character — though it now operates as a conventional pot still. Spirit stills are of standard pot still design. Annual capacity stands at approximately 1,000,000 litres.

Water is sourced from the Lingro Burn and piped to the distillery to minimise contact with the peat-covered Orkney landscape. This prevents peat pick-up in the process water, contributing directly to Scapa's unpeated character — the barley is not dried over peat smoke either. Worm tub condensers were used historically; the current configuration produces a notably clean, light spirit.

Scapa is one of Orkney's most distinctive single malts, defined by its honeyed, unpeated character — a deliberate counterpoint to the heavily peated style of many island whiskies. The house profile centres on heather honey, vanilla, light tropical fruit, and a gentle floral quality. Despite water travelling through peat-covered Orkney moorland, the piped supply limits peat pick-up, keeping the spirit clean and sweet. The result is "raw, yet refined" in the Orkney island fashion, but without the smoke that defines so many island malts.

Scapa Skiren is matured in American first-fill oak casks for a fresh, honeyed expression. Scapa Glansa, launched in 2016, introduces light peat smoke for a departure from the distillery's unpeated norm. Age-statement expressions carry deeper complexity from extended maturation.

Scapa's visitor centre, opened in 2015, offers several tours of varying lengths covering all main stages of Scotch whisky production. The setting on the shores of Scapa Flow — one of the most historically significant anchorages in the world — adds a powerful dimension to any visit. A physical shop is on site. Address: Scapa, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SE. Check the official website at scapawhisky.com for current tour availability and pricing.