Skip to main content
My Account

Please enter your date of birth.

I am of legal drinking age in my location

By entering our website you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. For information on alcohol responsibility, visit drinkaware.co.uk

The man with the Highland Park tattoo

Martin Markvardsen

The man with the Highland Park tattoo

This month we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of Martin Markvardsen, Highland Park's Senior Global Brand Ambassador—a beloved colleague and an industry legend, who was named a Master of the Quaich in 2021. Below, we catch up with him to reflect on his past 20 years as the face of Highland Park. 

Martin got his start in whisky after visiting Scotland (and his first scotch whisky distillery) with the Danish Navy in the late 80s, going on to work in a series of distilleries in the 90s and open his own shop, The Whisky House, in Copenhagen in 2003. In 2004, he was hired as whisky manager at the Craigellachie hotel, where, thanks to a particularly spectacular tasting, he caught the attention of the Highland Park team. We offered him a job within weeks—and he joined us in 2006. 

“I believe in Highland Park and I think it’s the best whisky in the world. To wake up with the knowledge that I get to spread the gospel of it, that makes me happy.”

Martin Markvarsden

What’s your earliest memory of Highland Park?

1989, I still remember that first sip. It was in a bar in Scotland, and it was one of the old expressions with the Saint Magnus label.I ran to the nearest whisky shop to purchase it, but I could only find the 12 Year Old. I bought that anyway and oh my…since then Highland Park has been my favourite whisky. 

Did you ever track down that Saint Magnus bottle? 

Yes I did, and now it’s long gone! We rereleased those labels for our Magnus trilogy. I just loved those bottles and have actually repurposed one as a lamp for my office. 

For you, why is it different from other whiskies? 

It’s the balance of flavours, the complexity and the sweetness. Flavours like honey, the gentle peat smoke, that mix of orange peel and marzipan

What’s special to you about Orkney?

I first came to Orkney 28 years ago and I was blown away, not by the strong winds, but the people, the scenery, the life. There’s a special feeling around Orkney. The Yesnaby Cliffs feel like the closest you’ll come to the edge of the world. It’s a place where you let the nature speak to you, and my friends there are more like family to me. Aside from my house in Denmark, Orkney is the only place I feel really at home.

Martin Markvardsen

You’ve served as HP ambassador for 20 years, what’s kept you here? 

I believe in Highland Park and I think it’s the best whisky in the world. To wake up with the knowledge that I get to spread the gospel of it… that makes me happy and that’s why I never really think of it as a job. 

When and why did you decide to get your Highland Park tattoo? 

I got the tattoo in 2009. Each of my tattoos represents something that means a lot to me and I thought seeing as it’s a brand that’s so close to my heart, I should have it on my chest. My whole body is full of tattoos, but it’s this one that I’m most proud of, and it’s definitely the most photographed!  

Do you have a favourite Highland Park memory?

Naming one is tricky, but crossing the North Sea to Kirkwall on a sailboat in 2014 for the launch of Dark Origins might just be my favourite. The weather made for a more eventful voyage than we had anticipated, but what I'll always remember is the support we received from the people of Orkney. As news of our delayed arrival spread, around 50 local boats came out to welcome and assist us back into Kirkwall. It was a real reminder of the strength of the island community, and one of those moments that perfectly captures the spirit of Orkney. Once we were back on land, we marked the occasion by sharing a dram of Highland Park 18 and reminiscing on a truly unforgettable day.

What’s your favourite thing about the job today? 

Hosting tastings, no doubt. It’s how I let my passion out. The amazing questions, the feedback, I love it. And of course, working with the teams in Orkney, Glasgow and across the world for that matter. I couldn’t do it without them.

Where’s the most unusual place Highland Park has taken you? 

I’ve been around most of the world, but I’d have to say Svalbard. It’s an island close to the North Pole and unexpectedly, great for whisky. The population is less than 3000 people made up of 53 nationalities, I’ve been there twice with Highland Park and it is amazing!

And what’s the weirdest thing you’ve done in the name of whisky? 

We chartered a plane from Stockholm to Kirkwall with 60 people and I hosted the highest and fastest tasting—21,000ft over the Nordic Sea at a speed of 572km/h. The Guinness Book of Records gave us a thumbs up for that one!

Martin Markvardsen

You’ve got an amazing Highland Park collection– what’s the star piece? 

Without a doubt a very special bottle of the Bicentenary 1977. That one will be with me as long as I live, and will never be opened! It’s actually written into my will that the day I'm not here anymore, that bottle will be passed back to Highland Park for its archive. 

What about other bottles in your care? Will they be opened?

All my other bottles will be tasted at some point.. They’re great to have as references for myself and Master Whisky Maker, Marc Watson.We love talking about the earlier expressions, and he’s always so curious about what else I have in my whisky library.

If you could swap places with one person at Highland Park for the day, who would it be?

That’s a hard one! But I think it would have to be Marc. I’m confident I could put together a splendid new expression if I had the blending room to myself for one day. 

If you had to pick three Highland Park releases to take to a desert island, what would they be? 

Bicentenary 1977, our first release of 50 Year Old from 2010, and the 18 Year Old which is my absolute favourite everyday whisky and a bottle I will always come back to.  

Martins' top picks

18

HIGHLAND PARK 18

£135

Full-bodied & Refined

Highland Park 12

HIGHLAND PARK 12

£47

Spicy & Well Rounded

Highland Park Between You and I 16 Year Old bottle

Between You and I by Björn Frantzén

£145