Scapa Distillery: History, Owner and Visitor Guide to Orkney's Malt
Updated: 24 hours ago
Scapa is Orkney's quiet second distillery, standing on the shore of Scapa Flow near Kirkwall. It is known for a short-lived experiment with a Lomond still, a wartime fire rescue and a long wait to become a single malt brand.
In this guide
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Scapa at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Location | Kirkwall, Orkney |
Region | Islands, Scotland |
Founded / established | 1885 |
Owner | Chivas Brothers / Pernod Ricard |
Bottles documented | 3 named expressions in Whisky Clan's bottle database |
Visiting | See visitor information in the original research below. Check official opening and booking details before travelling. |
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Scapa history, people and production
Where is Scapa distillery?
Scapa is on the Mainland of Orkney, on the shore of Scapa Flow near Kirkwall, about half a mile south of Highland Park. Whiskypedia lists the region as Islands. The official site describes it as a small, manually operated distillery overlooking the historic Scapa Flow and manned 24 hours a day.
Scapa history
By the end of the 19th century Orkney had three distilleries: Highland Park, Stromness and, from 1885, Scapa. Whiskypedia says Scapa was built by a Glasgow blender, John Townsend, with Macfarlane & Townsend named as the first owners.
The distillery was damaged by fire in 1919 and rebuilt. Wikipedia, used in the earlier draft, records that sailors of the remaining Grand Fleet formed a human chain with buckets of sea water to help put the fire out. The company went into liquidation in 1934 and distilling stopped until 1936, when Bloch Brothers took over.
Hiram Walker bought the business in 1954. In 1959 it installed a Lomond still, a design from the late 1950s with movable copper baffle plates in the neck that were meant to create different flavours from one still. The plates were later removed, and the Lomond still was decommissioned in 1979.
Whiskypedia's timeline places a rebuild in 1959, while the earlier draft cited a 1978 refurbishment, so dates in this period vary by source.
Production stopped in 1994, with occasional runs by the Highland Park team. A £2.1 million refurbishment began in 2004, the year Scapa 14 Year Old was launched. In 2005 the distillery came into Pernod Ricard's portfolio after the purchase of Allied Domecq. A visitor centre opened in April 2015.
Who owns Scapa?
This was an open check from the earlier draft and it is now settled from a source. Whiskypedia lists Pernod Ricard as parent company since 2005 and Chivas Brothers Holdings as the current owner. The official Scapa site carries Chivas Brothers' legal links, which is consistent with that.
1885 to 1919: Macfarlane & Townsend
1919 to 1934: Scapa Distillery Co
1936 to 1954: Bloch Brothers
1954 to 1987: Hiram Walker & Sons
1987 to 1994: Allied Lyons
1994 to 2005: Allied Domecq
2005 to present: Pernod Ricard, through Chivas Brothers
How Scapa is made
Whiskypedia's production data:
Stills: 2, one wash still and one spirit still
Wash still: Lomond shape, 16,500 litres
Spirit still: straight ogee shape, 12,284 litres
Malt: unpeated, from Simpsons
Mash tun: semi-lauter
Washbacks: 8 stainless steel
Fermentation: 52 to 70 hours
Water: Lingro Burn
Capacity: 1 million litres of pure alcohol a year
Whiskypedia says fermentation once ran to 120 hours, the longest in the industry, before a seven-day distilling week shortened it to up to 70 hours.
The Scapa range
The official site lists three core age statements:
Scapa 10 Year Old
Scapa 16 Year Old
Scapa 21 Year Old
ABV figures were not on the pages that loaded, so check the product pages for current strengths.
Visiting Scapa
The distillery opened its visitor centre in 2015. Whiskypedia lists opening from 9.30am to 5pm on weekdays, with weekend hours in summer. The official site also promotes the Scapa Noust, a clifftop tasting space overlooking Scapa Flow, with reservations through the Malt Whisky Distilleries tours page. Confirm times before travelling.
Official website
Scapa whisky bottle range and cask comparison
Here are named expressions documented from producer or specialist sources, including the available age and ABV. A missing strength is deliberately left as 'Check bottle' rather than estimated.
Bottle / expression | Age | ABV | Cask maturation / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Scapa 10 Year Old | 10 years | Check bottle | Ex-American oak barrels |
Scapa 16 Year Old | 16 years | Check bottle | American oak barrels |
Scapa 21 Year Old Single Batch | 21 years | Check bottle | American oak, yearly small-batch expression |
Featured bottle: Scapa 10 Year Old
Regular and rare releases are distinguished in the Whisky Bottles database; a historical catalogue listing does not prove current availability.
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Frequently asked questions about Scapa
Where is Scapa made?
On the shore of Scapa Flow near Kirkwall on Orkney.
Who owns Scapa?
Chivas Brothers, part of Pernod Ricard, since 2005 according to Whiskypedia.
When was Scapa founded?
1885, by Macfarlane & Townsend.
What is a Lomond still?
A still design from the late 1950s with adjustable copper plates in the neck to change reflux. Scapa is described by Whiskypedia as the only distillery to have used one to make whisky. The plates were removed and the still decommissioned in 1979.
Is Scapa peated?
No. Whiskypedia lists the malt as unpeated.
Sources and photographic credits
Official website: scapawhisky.com (home page loaded 20 October 2026).
ScotchWhisky.com Whiskypedia: Scapa distillery entry (loaded 20 October 2026).
Wikipedia: Scapa distillery, used in the earlier draft for the 1919 fire detail. Whisky Advocate, Whiskybase and Whisky Magazine were not loaded for this post.
Cover image: Wikimedia Commons.
Featured photograph: original credited image from the Whisky Clan distillery media library. If you own this image and would like the attribution updated, please contact Whisky Clan.
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
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