North Point Distillery

About the distillery

North Point Distillery is located in Forss near Thurso on Caithness’ north coast, where the sea, history, and modern low-carbon energy solutions come together in a small Scottish distillery. From here comes both gin, rum, and Dalclagie Highland Single Malt Whisky, and the place is especially interesting because the whisky plans have grown out of an already award-winning spirit production with clear local roots and a strong environmental profile.

History

North Point Distillery was founded in 2020 by Struan Mackie and Alex MacDonald, right in the middle of the pandemic. They started with one still in a single room and a team of four, and distillation began in the winter of 2020. The first still, Sandie(y) Stroma, was put into operation with rum and gin as the first spirits, and the distillery’s first Christmas was marked by the launch of North Point Pilot Rum and two Distiller’s Editions.

In June 2020, the distillery moved into the Forss Business and Energy Park in West Caithness, a site with an unusual background as a US NATO radio listening post during the Cold War. In 2021, the distillery began a private bottling service, and that same year the first tours got underway, so visitors could experience both the site and the spirits. The year also brought the first awards for Crosskirk Bay Gin and Skerra Spiced Rum.

The expansion really took off in 2022 with the 1000-litre wash still Gertie, a 200-litre research still called Audrey, new washbacks, and the first maturation in K-Rax systems. In 2023, Nettie was installed as the largest of the four stills, and after two years of secret distillation, Dalclagie was announced as the distillery’s own single malt whisky. In 2024, a Cold War-era bunker was added to the cask storage facilities, and the Dalclagie Cask Programme created a lot of interest, as the 2025 allocation sold out before the end of the year.

Raw materials and production

North Point Distillery works with small batches and places emphasis on raw materials that fit the site. For Dalclagie, heritage barley, Kveik farmhouse yeast, extra-long fermentations, and hand-selected casks are mentioned as the core of the production. Malt is supplied by Crisp, and the distillery also describes a responsible purchasing policy, where local ingredients and botanicals are used when possible, while international raw materials such as juniper from Italy and molasses from the Caribbean are chosen from Fairtrade and ethical suppliers.

The distillery has four custom-built copper pot stills with shell-and-tube condensers. They are electrically heated and can also switch to steam generation. The technical setup is supported by a 1000-litre wash still and a 200-litre research and development still. For fermentation, the distillery uses twelve-? washbacks? No, the material mentions four washbacks with the names Angus, Duncan, Alexander, and William, made from reclaimed wood from a historic blending plant in Kilmarnock. The water comes from ancient lochs, and production is closely connected to the site through local raw materials, selected botanicals, and a clear circular approach, where draff goes to local livestock farms, and used casks can be turned into new products by local craftspeople.

Maturation and cask types

Maturation is built around hand-selected casks and several different maturation environments. Dalclagie is described with hand-selected casks and barrels, and the cask programme offers both standard cask and rare & exotic. The distillery lays down casks in K-Rax systems, storing them in Warehouse 1, Skaill House, and later expanded with a Cold War-era bunker as part of the cask storage facilities.

In addition, North Point Pilot Rum is mentioned, which is aged on site for one year in former Highland whisky casks, providing an insight into the distillery’s work with previous contents and the contribution of the wood. Overall, the maturation description points to a practice where cask selection and storage are an active part of the identity rather than just a final stage.

Whiskies

Dalclagie is the house whisky project and the only real single malt name highlighted as the distillery’s own Scotch whisky. The range around the whisky is still small and focuses on the cask programme and new make releases, where both Dalclagie New Make Spirit and a peated New Make Spirit can be reserved in different cask types. In addition, Forgotten Son New Make Whisky sits as a separate bottling in the webshop.

This results in a range where the whisky is still being built, but the direction is clear: Highland single malt with a focus on barley, fermentation, casks, and the cask programme. The whisky identity is complemented by the distillery’s rum and gin production, which has already won awards and made the name North Point better known beyond whisky enthusiasts.

Whisky style and tasting profile

Dalclagie is associated with barley, long fermentations, and hand-selected casks, pointing to a clean Highland core with wood and grain as supporting elements. In the broader spirit story, citrus comes through in both lemon zest and Seville oranges, while butterscotch and oak sweetness provide a rounded, sweet wood profile. At the same time, a clearly spiced side with 21 spices, molasses, and a warm spicy character contributes, and in the cask programme, a peated new make spirit also appears as a more smoky note.

Visiting the distillery

The distillery can be visited at Forss Business and Energy Park near Thurso, and tours are offered with booking via Book a Tour. Visiting options also include tastings, and the site has a tasting room where cocktail evenings have previously been held. Opening hours vary between seasons: in on-season, it is open Monday to Saturday 10:00–17:30, while Sunday is closed; in off-season, opening is Monday to Friday 10:00–17:00, and Saturday and Sunday are closed. There are also planned closure days in 2026, as well as a day with reduced opening hours on 16 May 2026.

The listed opening hours are: On-season: Monday to Saturday 10:00–17:30, Sunday closed. Off-season: Monday to Friday 10:00–17:00, Saturday and Sunday closed. Scheduled business closures: 16 March 2026, 3 April 2026, 16 May 2026 (open 10:00–15:00), 23 May 2026, 18 July 2026, 25–31 December 2026.

Philosophy and craft

North Point Distillery is guided by a clear idea of small batches, Scottish authenticity, and as low an environmental impact as possible. The choices are concrete: local sourcing, fair and ethical suppliers, plastic-free packaging, electric firing of stills, its own wind energy on site, and reusing pot ale for biogas. At the same time, there is a strong circular way of thinking in the use of draff for local farmers and in reusing used casks to create new products together with local craftspeople.

Sustainability

Packaging is plastic free from corks to labels and shipping materials.
Corks sourced from FSC-certified RANKIN.
Bottles made with up to 100% recycled glass from Estal.
Labels screen printed with biodegradable ink.
Boxes made from recycled-and-recyclable cardboard and compostable paper tape.
All stills are electrically fired and free of emissions.
Wind farm generates power for the site and surrounding areas.
AD plant converts pot ale into biogas.
Draff is supplied to local livestock farmers.
Spent casks are reused by local craftsmen and artisans.

Awards and recognition

• Scottish Food and Drink Awards (2021, Won, Crosskirk Bay Gin and Skerra Spiced Rum)

• Sustainability Award (2021, Won, Crosskirk Bay Gin)

• International Wine and Spirits Competition (2022, 98 points, Crosskirk Bay Gin)

• Craft Producer of the Year (2023, Won)

• Icons of Rum Accolade (2023, Secured)

• Scottish Gin Awards (2023, Double gold medals, Crosskirk Bay Gin)

• Excellence in Sustainability (2023, Won, Crosskirk Bay Gin)

• Distillery Manager of the Year (2024, Won)

• Brand Ambassador of the Year (2024, Won)