Scotland, Orkney

FACTS ABOUT ORKNEY
Where: Archipelago of 70 islands north of Scotland, about the same latitude as Stockholm, Sweden.
Population: 19,000
Main island: Mainland
Largest urban areas: Kirkwall, about 7,000 inhabitants.
Getting there: By air from Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow. Ferry from Aberdeen (4 h), Scrabster (1.5 hours) or Lerwick in the Shetland Islands (4 h), which has ferry service to Bergen in Norway.
What to do: Orkney has many interesting relics from the Neolithic Age,
about 5,500 years ago. These are now on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Some of Britain's largest and most significant stone circles are found on Orkney. Excellent opportunities for diving especially shipwreck diving at Scapa Flow. Many dive shops in Stromness. In July 2006, the wreck of the steamer Tabarka was chosen as Scotland's best shipwreck dive by "Diver" magazine. Rock climbing is also popular in Orkney, particularly on the Mainland and in Hoy.
Other: Still has cultural and to a certain extent linguistic ties to Norway. The 17 May and midsummer are celebrated vigorously in Orkney. Orkney was subject to the Norwegian Crown from Viking times until 1469.
Golf: 2 x 18-hole courses + 4 x 9-hole courses. Both 18-hole courses are on the Mainland.

Scotland, Orkney - Sun, wind, whisky and golf

Orkney Scotland offers high winds, strong drinks and sweet memories. Join us on an odd golf trip in the footsteps Norwegian whisky-smugglers.

How can a notorious Norwegian whisky smuggler have anything to do with the world's best type of liquor? The answer to that question you will in all probability get if you visit the mythical and windswept Orkney group of islands. The history of churchman and bootlegger Magnus Eunson, I’ll get back to shortly, but first let me just point out that if you’re not the least bit interested in history then you should probably stop reading now.

Orkney and "The Orcadians" (the name for the residents of Orkney who speak Orcadian, a Scottish dialect with great influence from ancient Norwegian) is filled with history - history from many thousands of years before the beginning of our chronology as well as Viking Age history or modern history from the twentieth century.

Even the golf has a long history on Orkney and after a completed round on one of Orkney's courses, you will surely have a new story to tell at your home club once you get home again.

My story from Orkney will focus a lot on whisky, not the least on Highland Park, the oldest of Orkney’s distilleries, founded by the great Magnus Eunson in 1798. The stories about this Magnus, later canonized (the big cathedral in Kirkwall, called St Magnus Cathedral), are many and rich and all of them will not be reproduced here, but during the time that there was a ban on whiskey production in Scotland (1713-1826) there were many incidents played out that are retold today in Orkney.

Magnus was a churchman and many times used his position to escape men of the Crown who were looking for illegally made whiskey.

Highland Park, located just outside of Kirkwall, Orkney's largest town with about 7,000 inhabitants, thus has more than 200 year’s tradition of making whiskey of the highest class. A tradition that has survived, developed and been refined, so today many, including the renowned wine and spirits connoisseur Paul Pacault, consider the 18-year-old to be' The best spirit in the world ".

The tradition is very strong in Highland Park, and much of the unique character is based precisely on this tradition. The entire Highland Park facility and its staff exude tradition and geniality. The visitor gets an experience that is a journey through time and space. The future is represented by us being able to taste the freshly distilled spirits, even before it is put into the barrel.

And the golf? Yes, if it weren’t for the Gulf Stream there would be absolutely no reason to take clubs to Orkney; thanks to it though Orkney has, after all, a fairly mild climate. Winters are seldom quite cold, but on the other hand, summers are never really warm. Imagine typical Scottish weather - but a bit worse – then you understand what I mean.

There are a total of six courses, four of which that are nine-hole courses of link character and two eighteen-hole courses. The eighteen-hole courses are located next to the two largest towns in Orkney, Kirkwall and Stromness. Both are fully open and the park courses and the one in Kirkwall, Orkney Golf Club, is located beside the city centre with great views of the harbour, a bit up from the shoreline - clearly, two golf courses that etch themselves in your memory. And we’re of course not surprised. Scotland is famous for the fantastic golf you experience here.

STROMNESS GOLF CLUB
Founded in 1890, Current course built in 1923. Used for sheep grazing until 1990.
Homepage: www.stromnessgc.co.uk

ORKNEY GOLF CLUB
Founded during the second half of the nineteenth century. Current location since 1902.
Homepage: www.orkneygolfclub.co.uk

HIGHLAND PARK
18 YEARS OLD
Exquisite whiskey stored in oak casks for at least 18 years. The fiery taste has matured and the drink combines aromatic smokiness balanced with elegant sweetness. The aroma is rich with mature oak and honey and the taste is rich with aromas of seaweed, barrel character, peat smoke, sweetness and some spiciness in the aftertaste. Yum!
Homepage: www.highlandpark.co.uk

Text: Mattias Bäckman

Photo: Samir Soudah

Web Editor: Emma Lindén