Only 7 miles from the distillery, Hobbister peat moor is over 9,000 years old and nearly four metres deep in places, although we only need to cut down to about 4,000 years. It is composed of layer upon layer of densely compacted vegetation, under constant onslaught by ferocious winds. This means that it is treeless but rich in fragrant heather. Annually in April, we hand-cut into this rugged, ancient landscape, one shovel at a time. The peat is then dried naturally over summer and burned in our ancient kilns, where its heathery aromatic smoke infuses the malting barley. As we are so closely tied to this wild and windy landscape, we know that we must do what we can to not only make the most of it but preserve it. As such, we partner with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to improve the wetlands and now use the peat in a more efficient way, meaning less is now being cut.

Our islands are scattered in stormy waters off the extreme north coast of Scotland, where the North Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. And while our distillery lies almost in the Arctic Circle our climate is surprisingly temperate. This does, however, mean our winters are wild and somewhat eternal. Perfect for long, cool and evenly paced maturation in our island warehouses.