Wolfburn Distillery stands in Thurso on the northern coast of Caithness. The original distillery was founded by William Smith in 1821 and received its first licence in 1823. It took its name from the Wolf Burn, the watercourse that supplied its production water. Wolfburn quickly became the largest distillery in Caithness, producing approximately 125,000 litres of proof spirit in 1826. The business remained in the Smith family after its founder’s death, but closed in 1858, when the stills and mash tun were sold at auction.

More than a century and a half later, the name was brought back to life. Plans for a new distillery were submitted in stills and mash tun were sold at auction.

More than a century and a half later, 2011, and a modern complex was built close to the original site in 2012. The first spirit flowed from the stills on 25 January 2013, Burns Night. Northland, the first single malt, followed in 2016. Wolfburn is distinguished by small-scale production without automation: everything from milling the malt to bottling takes place on site. Long fermentation, gentle distillation and the production of both unpeated and peated spirit give the team close control over the whisky.