Islands · 10 Year Old · 40%
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Looking for an easy, affordable way to discover Highland Park? Highland Park 10 Year Old Viking Scars is the youngest whisky in the distillery’s core range and the perfect place to start. It brings sherry sweetness, a touch of ginger and orange peel, and the gentle heathery smoke Orkney is famous for. This gift set also comes with a glass, so it’s ready to give, or to enjoy yourself straight away.
It’s a friendly, well-priced introduction to one of Scotland’s most respected island distilleries.
A whisky gift set with a glass takes the guesswork out of gifting. There’s nothing else to buy, and it makes a thoughtful present for birthdays, Father’s Day, Christmas or a thank-you.
Highland Park’s core range is built like a ladder. Viking Scars (10 Year Old) is the first step, followed by Viking Honour (12 Year Old) and Viking Pride (18 Year Old). Starting at 10 years old makes it lighter, livelier and spicier than its older siblings, and the most affordable way into the Highland Park style.
Like the rest of the core range, Viking Scars is matured mainly in European and American oak casks seasoned with sherry. These casks give sweetness, dried fruit and warm spice, balancing the smoke.
Highland Park dries part of its barley over peat cut on Orkney. Because the islands have very few trees, the peat is made mostly of heather, and its smoke is soft, floral and aromatic. If you’ve found Islay whiskies too smoky, Viking Scars offers a much gentler taste of peat.
Sherry sweetness with a gentle, heathery smoke, plus hints of honey and vanilla.
Lively ginger and orange peel, earthy peat and sherry sweetness.
Salty and heathery, with herbal notes and a hint of black pepper.
It’s a spicier, more energetic dram than the 12 Year Old, great for anyone who enjoys a bit of warmth and zing in their whisky.
Pour a measure into the glass and let it sit for a minute. Swirl it gently, take a soft sniff with your mouth slightly open, then take a small sip and hold it on your tongue before swallowing.
A few drops of water calm the spice and bring out more honey and orange.
Its ginger spice makes it perfect with ginger ale. Pour a measure over ice, top up with ginger ale and add a slice of orange.
Try it with smoked salmon, spiced sausages, a cheese board, ginger biscuits or dark chocolate with orange.
Orkney was settled by Norse Vikings and ruled by Norway for centuries, and it only became part of Scotland in 1468. That heritage is everywhere on the islands, from place names to Kirkwall’s St Magnus Cathedral, founded in the 12th century by the Norse Earl Rognvald. Highland Park celebrates it by naming each core whisky after a Viking virtue or story. Viking Scars nods to the hard-fought lives of the Norse settlers who made Orkney their home.
Highland Park’s story begins in 1798 with Magnus Eunson, a butcher, church officer and secret whisky smuggler, who was caught distilling illegally on the site. The distillery took out its official licence in 1826.
The distillery sits on the edge of Kirkwall, Orkney’s main town, and is often described as Scotland’s northernmost single malt distillery. Its name has nothing to do with the Highlands. It comes from “High Park”, the area where it stands.
Highland Park is one of the few distilleries that still turns some of its own barley on traditional malting floors, then dries it over Orkney peat from Hobbister Moor. Since 1979 it has been owned by Edrington, which also owns The Macallan.
If you like Viking Scars’ sherry sweetness and gentle smoke, these single malts take a similar approach:
For more ideas, read our guide to the 10 best single malt Scotch whiskies to buy in 2026.
A 70cl bottle of Highland Park 10 Year Old Viking Scars and a glass.
Lightly. It has a gentle, heathery peat smoke balanced by sherry sweetness and spice.
Viking Scars is 10 years old and spicier and livelier. Viking Honour is 12 years old, with more honey, fruitcake and depth from two extra years in sherry-seasoned oak.
Predominantly sherry-seasoned European and American oak casks.
Yes. It is the entry point to Highland Park’s core range, approachable and well priced, with only a gentle touch of smoke.
Yes. With a glass included and a striking Viking-inspired bottle, it is ready to give with nothing else to buy.
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