A Caithness whisky distillery, reborn earlier this year, has hit a major milestone by completing its first batch of peated spirit.
Thurso-based Wolfburn Distillery completed the first load earlier this week and is planning an initial bottling run in 2017.
Bosses at the plant say the whisky has received “hugely positive” early reviews and they aim to follow it up with fresh batches every year.
Shane Fraser, production manager, said: “There’s a big demand globally for peated whisky.
“We wanted to maintain the unique profile of Wolfburn’s spirit, which has already received hugely positive reviews, but at the same time produce a distinctive peaty expression.
“We used a lightly peated malt, with ten parts-per-million phenol, and the results have been fantastic.”
The new distillery is less than 400 yards from the site of an original 19th century plant.
The first Wolfburn was built in 1821 and was passed down various generations of the Smith family.
Production ceased in the latter half of the 19th century, but in its heyday, Wolfburn was the largest distillery in Caithness.
The distillery is now the most northerly on the British mainland, having overtaken Old Pulteney at Wick.
Aurora Brewing, formed by a consortium of backers, re-established Wolfburn Distillery at Thurso Business Park to take advantage of growing international demand for Scotland’s national drink.
Moray manufacturer Forsyths of Rothes, which specialises in the whisky industry, was brought in to build the complex, which draws its water from nearby Wolf Burn, just as its predecessor did in 1821.
Wolfburn’s inaugural whisky is expected in the first quarter of 2016.
It will be made from spirit laid down during the early part of 2013.
Production operator Iain Kerr said: “There’s still a long way to go until we start bottling but our production rate is ahead of forecast, and we have lots of truly exceptional spirit laid down already.
“We’re very much looking forward to being able to share our whisky with the world.”