Doors open to Highland Park’s new Orkney ‘experience store’

Highland Park, the Edrington-owned single malt whisky brand, has marked International Viking Day with the opening of a new store in Orkney.

As well as a retail space offering merchandise and whiskies and a tasting room, the “customer experience store” in Kirkwall includes a gallery featuring works from local artists.

Orkney-based photographer and “digital influencer” Kendra Towns is the first to feature her collection of images inspired by the light on the islands.

Having welcomed more than half a million visitors to Orkney during her 20-year career with Highland Park distillery and a recent recipient of the industry’s prestigious Keepers of the Quaich accolade, Patricia Retson was enlisted to help officially open the store.

She said: “It was an honour and a pleasure to open the new Highland Park store. I hope to see many more visitors discover Orkney and Highland Park’s exciting history.”

Jason Craig, global brand director Highland Park, added: “We’re excited to open the doors to our new shop and share even more of our world with our visitors. It felt fitting, on a day believed to be about embarking on new adventures for our Nordic ancestors, that we’ve embarked on ours.”

International Viking Day is regarded as the date when our Viking ancestors would shed their winter clothes and prepare their ships for travel for the year ahead.

Seven new members of staff have been employed with an additional four people joining the team during the summer season.