Wolfburn Distillery — Highland Single Malt Whisky

Wolfburn Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery located on the edge of Thurso, Caithness, in the Highland region of Scotland. It was founded in 1821 and, after lying dormant for over 150 years, was rebuilt and returned to production in 2013; it is currently owned by Aurora Brewing Limited. Wolfburn is the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland, drawing its process water from the Wolf Burn stream from which it takes its name.

History

The original Wolfburn distillery was established in 1821 by William Smith, using local Caithness flagstone, and grew to become the largest distillery in the county during the 19th century. It was passed down through several generations of the Smith family before ceasing production around 1858/1860s, after which the site fell into disuse and little of the original buildings survived.

In 2012 a private consortium of investors, formed as Aurora Brewing Limited, gained planning approval from Caithness authorities to build a new distillery at Henderson Park in Thurso, roughly 350 metres from the site of the original works. The new distillery, designed and built by Forsyths of Rothes, began distilling again on Burns Night, 25 January 2013. An on-site bottling facility followed in February 2016, and the inaugural Wolfburn single malt was launched globally the following month. The distillery has since won multiple gold medals in international competitions and, as of 2025, produces both unpeated and lightly peated expressions.

Quick Facts

• Region: Highland (Caithness, far north Scottish mainland)
• Founded: 1821 (original); rebuilt and restarted 2013
• Owner: Aurora Brewing Limited
• Status: Active
• Stills: 1 wash still, 1 spirit still (capacity approx. 125,000 litres per annum)

Core Range

Wolfburn's core range includes the age-stated 8 Year Old (Northland), 10 Year Old, and 12 Year Old single malts (all 46% ABV), alongside the non-age-stated Aurora (sherried, 46% ABV), Morven (lightly peated, 46% ABV), and the cask-strength Langskip (58% ABV). The distillery also produces a Pentland Whisky Liqueur (26% ABV). Guided tours and tastings are available at the distillery.