Dornoch Castle Named SLTN 2026 Whisky Bar of the Year

Hotel links Highland tourism through whisky venue, independent bottling and distilling projects

Dornoch Castle Hotel has been named Whisky Bar of the Year at the 2026 Scottish Licensed Trade News (SLTN) Awards. The hotel is a whisky venue in the Scottish Highlands, and the award, presented last week to recognise excellence in Scotland’s hospitality industry, marks an important milestone for the hotel and its front-of-house team.

Whisky community reputation and distilling projects

The bar has built a reputation in the global whisky community over the past few years and is also the home of Dornoch Distillery Company whisky and independent bottler Thompson Brothers. The site also supports the forthcoming Struie Distillery; this new facility is under construction and the project will expand distilling activity in the area. The hotel also offers seasonal whisky packages designed to attract enthusiasts to the Highlands, where guests can taste rare and independently bottled whiskies paired with local produce.

Dornoch Castle Hotel bar manager Jamie Williams said winning the 2026 SLTN Whisky Bar of the Year award was great news for the whole team. He credited the staff and said: “The staff put in a huge amount of effort to create a space that genuinely promotes Scotch whisky, and this award is entirely theirs.” He added that, between celebrating this award and watching the new Struie Distillery take shape, it is an exciting time for all of them in Dornoch.

SLTN Awards and Highland whisky tourism

Dornoch Castle Hotel is located in Dornoch, a coastal town in the Scottish Highlands, an area long associated with whisky production. The Northern Highlands, where the hotel is situated, is one of Scotland’s whisky-producing regions, and tourism and whisky experiences are closely linked there.

The SLTN Awards are among Scotland’s longest-running hospitality awards, recognising operators and venues across the country’s licensed trade, with categories covering bars, restaurants, hotels and pubs. Scotch whisky remains one of the UK’s most valuable export categories, supporting tourism in rural Highland communities; travellers’ interest in whisky experiences is also driving demand for destination bars and tasting-led accommodation, making whisky experiences an important part of Highland tourism.

📅 Published: 2026-11-09

🔗 Source: The Whiskey Wash