Highland Park to tour aboard Viking longship

Orkney single malt Scotch brand Highland Park has partnered with Viking longship Draken Harald Hårfagre for its upcoming tour of the US east coast.

The Draken Harald Hårfagre is more than 100 feet long and was constructed between 2010 and 2012

The Draken is a recreation of a Viking ship created by Norwegian entrepreneur Sigurd Aase. The tour with Highland Park will see the ship travel the US east coast from Maine to South Carolina, visiting 14 harbours over four months.

Martin Markvardsen, Highland Park’s senior global brand ambassador, said: “The Draken ship and its journey exemplify the spirit of the modern-day Viking and everything that Highland Park stands for: determination, adventure, quality craftsmanship and rich history.

“Our founder Magnus Eunson was a direct descendant of the Vikings who settled on Orkney over 1,000 years ago and today, our whisky continues to be crafted in the old way by a new generation of Vikings.

“Highland Park is proud to be an official partner of the Draken ship and honoured to support its vision and tour of the United States.”

The Orkney-based distillery will support the ship on its US tour, which will see the Draken stop off at cities including Washington DC and Philadelphia.

The Draken will offer deck tours at each stop-over, as well as screenings of a new Draken documentary, talks by the captain and crew, and Highland Park whisky tastings.

The ship, which is more than 100 feet long, was constructed between 2010 and 2012. It completed its inaugural transatlantic crossing from Norway to the US in 2016.

Last month, the Edrington-owned distillery released the second expression in its special edition range inspired by Viking history, called Valknut.