PICTURES: King hailed as 'great advocate for Caithness' as he officially opens 8 Doors Distillery
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The King was hailed as "a great advocate for Caithness" after he toured the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland yesterday.
His Majesty officially opened 8 Doors Distillery at John O'Groats before meeting food and drink producers from the county and chatting to community representatives.
He sampled a dram in the distillery shop, then was led through the stillroom to the nearby bonded warehouse where he was invited to fill a cask.
Charles has been a regular summer visitor to Caithness over the years but this was his first official appearance in the county since he and Queen Camilla had their coronation at Westminster Abbey in May.
He overran his official schedule on Wednesday morning, spending just over an hour and a quarter in John O'Groats. The kilted monarch stopped to speak to delighted onlookers, including many tourists, who had gathered in large numbers despite drizzle which turned to heavy rain.
Founded by husband and wife Derek and Kerry Campbell, 8 Doors Distillery has been operating since last September. Its whisky is the first to be produced in John O’Groats since 1837, the year Queen Victoria came to the throne.
The couple, from Thurso, are both 41. Mrs Campbell described the business as a "passion project" as she introduced the King to members of the team.
She said later: "It has been an absolute honour to have the King come and officially open the distillery for us. We couldn't have wished for anything better, and it was great to be able to introduce him to the team.
"We've got a brilliant team and we couldn't do it without them, so it was a great chance for him to meet them and see how they all contribute to this."
The whisky the King sampled in the distillery shop was a nine-year-old peated single malt, bottled under the Seven Sons sub-brand.
Mrs Campbell said: "He seemed to enjoy it and he was asking about the type of cask it was in. It was a sherry cask matured whisky, so he was interested in that."
She added: "What's really nice about the food and drink in Caithness is everyone is so supportive. It's very community led, so it doesn't feel like competition – it feels like everyone wants everybody to do well, and if we can come together then it's great for the county."
The distillery has six full-time staff and five part-time, along with two weekend jobs.
Mr Campbell said: "He immediately made me feel at ease. He is so personable and a great advocate for Caithness, so it was a real honour to have him here today to officially open the distillery.
"It's a memory we'll never forget."
Mr Campbell explained that the couple have been whisky enthusiasts for 10 years.
"We went on a holiday to the Isle of Harris and visited two distilleries," he said. "One was small and one was large, and we thought maybe there's something we can do here.
"We always wanted to create employment in the area, we like making things and we like whisky, so we combined it all together and that's where the project comes from.
"We want the business to be rooted in John O'Groats. We have lots of great memories of coming out here and hunting for Groatie Buckies."
In the stillroom, His Majesty was told about the importance of sustainability in the distilling process.
In the warehouse, distillery manager Ryan Sutherland invited the royal guest to fill a cask and assisted as the King hammered in the bung and was given a taste of the spirit. The King then signed the visitors' book.
John Ramsay, consultant to the distillery, said later: "At this moment in time the oldest whisky is only nine months old. It's not whisky yet – it's still classed as spirit.
"I was explaining the different types of oak that we use – American oak, Spanish oak and European oak. That has a big bearing on how the whisky matures.
"He seemed very interested."
The King arrived by car just before 10.45am, accompanied by the Lord-Lieutenant of Caithness, Lord Thurso.
He was introduced to Jamie Stone, the MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, and Jan McEwan, provost of Wick and a councillor for Wick and East Caithness, before being led into the distillery.
As he left the building, the King unveiled a plaque to commemorate the official opening.
