A Whisky Distillery Guide from the Ulbster Arms Hotel

Wolfburn Whisky Distillery: 15 Minutes from the Ulbster Arms Hotel

Wolfburn Whisky Distillery is our closest distillery, sitting in Thurso just 15 minutes’ drive from Halkirk. It’s also the most northerly whisky distillery on the Scottish mainland. This makes it a major landmark for whisky travellers.

The original Wolfburn opened in 1821 and fell silent by the 1860s. Then, in 2013, a new distillery revived the name a short walk from the old foundations, drawing water from the same springs that fed the original. Everything happens by hand here, from milling to bottling, with long fermentation and gentle distillation producing a notably smooth Highland single malt.

Tours run Monday to Friday at 10am, midday and 2pm, with extra Saturday tours from April to September. The classic tour lasts around 90 minutes and costs £19.50 per adult, including a tasting and a glass to keep. Drivers get a miniature to take home instead. Booking ahead is essential, so reserve your place through Wolfburn’s website before you travel.

And with the distillery being just a 15-minute drive away, the Ulbster Arms Hotel is the perfect place to stay. Take a look at our rooms to discover authentic Scottish charm and Highland hospitality. We even have a few whiskies on offer ourselves, as well as one of the best restaurants in Caithness.

Photo by Htayler – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Dunnet Bay Distillery: 25 Minutes North

Not everything up here is whisky. Dunnet Bay Distillers, 25 minutes north of the Ulbster Arms Hotel, is the most northerly distillery on the British mainland and produces the award-winning Rock Rose Gin, Holy Grass Vodka and Mapmaker’s Rum.

Founded in 2014 by Martin and Claire Murray, the distillery forages local botanicals including juniper, rowan berries and sea buckthorn. Tours cover the small-batch process and include tastings, and cocktail workshops run too. It makes a lovely change of pace between whisky days, particularly for groups where not everyone drinks malt.

By Dunnet Bay Distillery by Anne Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0

Build Your Own Caithness Whisky Trail

Here’s the beauty of basing yourself in Halkirk. Everything sits within a 30-minute radius. So, you can build a proper distillery trail without changing hotels or driving for hours between stops.

A popular route runs Wolfburn on day one, Old Pulteney on day two, then Dunnet Bay and the Orkney ferry across the rest of the week. Alternatively, Wolfburn and Dunnet Bay pair neatly into a single day, since both sit north of us within 25 minutes. Smaller producers including North Point Distillery and 8 Doors Distillery in John O’Groats add further stops for anyone wanting a fuller drinks trail.

Naturally, someone needs to drive. And our team can advise on local taxi firms and drivers for tasting days, so just ask at reception when you arrive.