A Trilogy That Celebrates A Legendary Story Dates Back A Millennium
Settled within a cluster of islands among the cold North Sea, Orkney is home to one of the finest Highland distilleries in the world. Custodians of unbroken traditions for more than two hundred years, Highland Park is made today with the same enduring belief in integrity and honesty as it has always been. Weaving tales into their whiskies, the dedicated craftsmen at Highland Park bring together Orkney’s distinct natural elements and its deeply rooted Viking heritage, creating a wild harmony unlike any other.
The Highland Park Inga Saga Trilogy celebrates the legendary stories of St Magnus, the Earl of Orkney.
Magnus Erlendsson was born in 1075 to Viking ancestors, whose code of heroism, honour, and pride framed their brutal lives. Unlike his contemporaries, Magnus was a man of peace, contemplation, and scholarly learning. He is described in the Orkneyinga Saga as “a man of extraordinary distinction, tall, with a fine, intelligent look about him.”
The most important thing in Earl Magnus’s life was not being an Earl; it was being a man of God. As a young man, he was sent on an expedition with the hot-blooded King Magnus Barelegs, and they were about to join battle with two Welsh Earls, Hugh the Stout and Hugh the Proud. Magnus demonstrated his saintly virtues when he refused to fight, saying that he had no quarrel with these men. Never in their warmongering history had a Norse nobleman said such a thing.
Unlike the peace-loving Magnus, his cousin Haakon was a cunning warrior who remained imbued with the fighting spirit, envious and ambitious, striving for self-glory. Magnus reigned jointly with Haakon from 1108 until 1115 when their followers fell out. Peace was negotiated and they arranged to meet and bring two ships each. Magnus of course put his trust in his cousin’s fair words, but the treacherous Haakon came with a fleet of eight and captured his saintly cousin. Even when he knew his trust has been abused, he was as calm as if playing a game of chess; “I will risk no lives for mine”, he said. “We are in God’s hands.”
Magnus was not canonized until 20 years after his death. In the Orkney capital of Kirkwall, the magnificent medieval St Magnus Cathedral was built in honour of his name. Nowadays, the influence of Saint Magnus spread far and wide; more than 20 churches have been dedicated to him. His story has also inspired many literary works. The forename became popular in Orkney, notably in the case of Magnus Eunson, a man forever associated with the founding of Highland Park distillery in 1789.
To recapture this remarkable period of history, Highland Park has chosen to express the traces of time inits own way. Of the many venerable bottles in the Highland Park Archive, one bottle dating from around 1870 fits perfectly as inspiration for celebrating the life of Earl Magnus. In 1870 the bottles would have been made by hand, blown into a wooden mould, and kept moist to prevent burning. Impurities largely determined the colour of the glass. In those days, the biggest goal in making glass was to make it not break.
This modern bottle matches the original in almost all regards, other than that it is made in a factory, doesn’t leak, and conforms to all applicable legislation. The modern moulds echo the flaws in the hand-made ones from two centuries ago; advanced techniques were used to generate bubbles and colour consistency in the glass.
Be ready to take on a true Orkney experience, as the subtle aromas are slowly released from the glass andthe legendary stories from the Viking era unfold right before you.