Gordon Motion has spent 27 years at the helm of the Orkney distillery’s renowned whisky portfolio. He now hands the baton to Marc Watson who brings more than 11 years of experience to the table, including his role as master blender for The Famous Grouse and Naked Malt since 2023.
Motion was assistant to the whisky quality manager for all the Edrington brands for 10 years before taking over as master blender in 2008. He has looked after Highland Park almost exclusively since 2018.
‘I want to thank Highland Park for being my home for close to three decades,’ Motion said. ‘It’s been a great privilege and even better fun to have been a custodian of this truly great single malt whisky.’
Reflecting on his time at Highland Park, Motion pinpointed some highlights: ‘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.’
Motion’s successor, Watson, was awarded Distillery Manager of the Year at Icons of Whisky Scotland in 2023. He has spent the last six months working with Motion to familiarise himself with Highland Park’s unique flavour profile.
Marc Watson. Credit: Highland Park / Courtesy of Hope & Glory PR
‘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,’ said Watson.
He told Decanter he was excited to ‘see what I can bring to [the role] from a creative point of view, and you’ll see that with new releases and things going forward but keeping the core the same and the quality the same’.
Motionm said, ‘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.’
Motion has created Sherry Skies from ‘three first-fill European oak Sherry quarter casks, three first-fill American oak quarter casks and three first-fill Bourbon casks’. The Sherry casks were seasoned and crafted in Jerez, specifically for Highland Park.
‘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,’ said Motion.
‘I hope this farewell dram will give people as much joy savouring it, as I had creating it,’ he added.
When asked what he was most looking forward to in retirement, Motion commented: ‘Sitting down with a whisky and not having to talk about it.’
Kirkwall-based Highland Park, now in its 227th year of production, stands among Scotland’s oldest whisky distilleries.
Limited edition Sherry Skies
1,200 bottles available
48.8% abv
£265 RRP
Sherry Skies it is available to purchase from Highland Park Distillery, the Albert Street flagship store and via the distiller’s website.
