Dornoch: The small Dornoch distillery was founded by brothers Simon and Philip Thompson in 2016 on the site of an old fire station within Dornoch Castle Hotel, owned by their family. The hotel itself is a pilgrimage site for whisky lovers, featuring a small but world-renowned whisky bar that specializes in rare whiskies, mostly acquired at auctions but offered at reasonable prices. It was voted 'Whisky Bar of the Year' by Scotch Whisky Business News in 2014 and 2016. Simon and Philip are deeply knowledgeable about whisky, applying this expertise to create their distillery using 'old methods.' Their Dornoch Whisky Company evolved from the Black Isle Whisky Company, an independent bottler established in 2013. In March 2016, the brothers launched a crowdfunding campaign (see 'Glen Wyvis'), reaching their £170,000 target within weeks. Production began in December of that year with a trial series of 10 golden spirits, distributed to crowdfunding supporters for feedback before finalizing the recipe for their organic whisky. The first barrel was filled in February 2017. The Thompsons' approach is highly experimental. The small size of their stills allows them to use diverse materials and methods, particularly those employed in the 1940s-1960s. The distillery uses ancient organic barley varieties—such as Plumage Archer and Maris Otter—which are floor-malted at Warminster Maltings (established in 1855 in Wiltshire, England's oldest and most traditional maltings). These heritage varieties are more expensive to grow and yield less alcohol than conventional strains. The chosen yeast strains have slower conversion rates and lower efficiency, resulting in Dornoch's exceptionally long fermentation time of up to 216 hours—possibly the longest in Scotland. This produces a complex, intensely fruity whisky. The Thompsons believe their whisky captures flavors from the industry's 'golden age.' Clearly, Dornoch prioritizes flavor over yield. Ninety percent of production is dedicated to single malt whisky—the signature style is still being defined. The remaining ten percent goes to gin. Dornoch is Scotland's least efficient distillery. Due to its special barley varieties and brewer's yeast, its capacity is equivalent to 1940s levels. Its distillation runs may also be the shortest: approximately 10 hours for the first distillation and 20 hours for the spirit distillation. Philip Thompson explains: 'When the liquid starts to collect at the head, we slow down, allowing us to remove more of the unwanted components and gain more fruit character. Then we speed up slightly, slowing down again near the end to increase reflux. This eliminates some vegetal notes that would otherwise come through in the tails, but it's absolutely worth it!'

Dornoch Cathedral dates back to the 13th century. The former bishop's palace is now Dornoch Castle Hotel, while the adjacent old town jail has been converted into a visitor center. The Royal Dornoch Golf Club was ranked '5th in the world outside the USA' by Golf Digest magazine in 2005. Scotland's last witch to be sentenced to death was executed in Dornoch in 1727 (or 1722, according to the death date marked on a gravestone). The original Dornoch Castle was built in the late 15th century, although the age of the oldest parts of the existing building is not entirely clear. It was a gift from Bishop Robert Stewart to his brother-in-law, the Earl of Sutherland, in 1557 to protect the castle from looting by the Highland Reformation Church, but it never returned to church control. It was converted into a hotel in 1947 and was acquired by the Thompson Company in 2000.