After 27 years of spearheading innovation at award-winning Single Malt Scotch whisky distillery Highland Park, Gordon Motion is to retire from his role as master whisky maker.
Owners Edrington have announced that Marc Watson, most recently master blender for The Famous Grouse and Naked Malt, will now be taking over at the Kirkwall distillery.
Motion said: “I want to thank Highland Park for being my home for close to three decades. As I reflect on those, there have been some truly special moments.
“From selecting 10 exceptional casks from 1968 to create landmark releases like our 56-year-old, through to playing a pivotal role in the growth of our single malt portfolio, together with introducing our first Cask Strength and Global Travel Retail releases to the world.
“It’s been a great privilege and even better fun to have been a custodian of this truly great single malt whisky,” said Motion.
“I couldn’t ask for a better successor than Marc Watson to take Highland Park into the future. His attention to detail, deep knowledge and love of whisky and distilling, together with his creative flair, makes him the ideal person to become Highland Park’s next Master Whisky Maker.”
Watson graduated from Heriot-Watt with a Master’s degree in Brewing and Distilling, and brings with him over 11 years of industry experience, including his work with The Famous Grouse and Naked Malt since 2023.
Prior to that, Marc was also recognised with the prestigious Icons of Whisky Distillery Manager of the Year award.
Described as a ‘passionate explorer of flavour’, Marc has been working alongside Gordon for the past six months to immerse himself in Highland Park’s aged whisky stocks and its distinctive flavour profile.
Watson said: “I’ve always been a huge fan of Highland Park and its different by nature approach to whisky and to life and have a huge admiration for my predecessors who have created the legacy that makes it such a special single malt Scotch Whisky.
“I am incredibly excited to build on the award-winning quality that Gordon has nurtured throughout his tenure, whilst also being able to bring my own creativity.”
In a farewell to Gordon Motion, Highland Park is releasing a limited-edition whisky to honour his legacy – ‘Sherry Skies’, a 19-year-old whisky that celebrates the “combination of science and instinct that Gordon has put into every bottle of Highland Park Single Malt Whisky across his tenure”.
Created from six sherry seasoned casks – prepared for Highland Park in Jerez – and three bourbon casks, Sherry Skies’ deep sherry influence is said to bring notes of “intense jammy dried fruit and sweet tannic spices, perfectly balanced with the subtle hint of aromatic smoke of Orkney heathered peat”.
Gordon commented: “I’ve sampled 100,000s of casks during my 27-year career, and the nine selected for Sherry Skies deliver a unique depth of flavour – singing with the sherry sweetness that I have loved exploring and perfecting, balanced with the subtle hint of aromatic smoke of our Orkney heathered peat.
“I hope this farewell dram will give people as much joy savouring it, as I had creating it.”
