The Orkney Distillery opened on Kirkwall's harbour front in July 2018 as a gin distillery and visitor centre.1,2,3 It first distilled whisky on 27 March 2024, for a single malt planned from old barley types, including locally grown bere.1,4,5
Stephen and Aly Kemp, a local couple, formed Orkney Distilling in 2016.1,4,6 Its Kirkjuvagr gin launched in August 2016, first made on mainland Scotland, with plans to move production to Kirkwall.1,4,6 Building began in February 2017 on an Ayre Road site owned by Orkney Builders, a building firm the Kemp family controlled.1,2,3
After pandemic delays, it was granted licences to distil Scotch whisky and rum in September 2023.1
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In 2024 it received virgin oak casks and said its casks would be smaller than modern standard barrels, to be more traditional, affordable and manageable.7,8,9 It aims to fill each cask it releases at 59% alcohol, reflecting the distillery's latitude of 58.98 degrees north.7,8,9