Thurso is the northernmost town on the British mainland with a history dating back to the Viking Age, when it was under Norse rule and an important gateway to Scandinavia and the Northern Isles. The area is bordered to the north and east by a barren but beautiful coastal landscape and is home to internationally important colonies of seabirds.
Thurso Bay and the distillery overlook the turbulent waters of the Pentland Firth towards the imposing cliffs of the Orcadian Island of Hoy. On a clear day, the Old Man of Hoy can be seen in the distance. The Thurso area was inhabited long before the Vikings came to give it its name. The name Thurso means ”Thor” in Gaelic.
History
In 1821, William Smith founded a distillery on the outskirts of Thurso and named it Wolfburn after the stream it drew its water from. ”burn” is the Scottish word for stream or small river.
The distillery was built of hardened local Caithness stone and the remains of its foundations can still be seen today. Smith invested heavily in Wolfburn and it quickly became a significant producer of malt whisky. Tax lists from the early 19th century show it to be the largest distillery in Caithness during that period. In 1826 its annual output was 28,056 ”Total Gallons of Proof Spirit” – approximately 125,000 litres. The new Wolfburn distillery is just a short walk along the seafront from the old site.
We will try:
Northland
Aurora
The Morven
Longship
Small Batch 204
Small Batch 318
200 Year Anniversary Edition
