Scapa sits half a mile from Highland Park on the southern edge of Kirkwall, overlooking the waters of Scapa Flow. It is a smaller and less celebrated distillery than its neighbour, which suits it. Scapa produces a lighter, less peaty Island whisky — honeyed, slightly maritime — that makes an instructive contrast to Highland Park's smokier style.
Founded in 1885 and mothballed for a decade in the 1990s, Scapa was restored and fully reopened in 2005 after a £2.1 million renovation. The visitor centre opened in 2015. Tours are available and the views of Scapa Flow — where the German High Seas Fleet was scuttled in 1919 — are genuinely dramatic from the distillery grounds.