Orkney’s Scapa Distillery are partnering with one of the world’s foremost hiking apps to launch a range of new immersive experiences that will appeal to whisky fans and ramblers alike (dramblers, if you will…).

The collaboration with Outdooractive will be called Scapa Sanctuary Trails and will feature a number of curated walking routes across the island, each designed to inspire calmness and encourage people to reconnect with nature.

These walks conclude at the distillery, where guests are invited to sample Scapa’s core range of 10, 16, and 21 year old single malts in the Scapa Noust - the distillery’s spectacular, recently opened tasting room overlooking Scapa Flow and very much the 'sanctuary' element of the experience. Visitors will also have the opportunity to enjoy locally-inspired cuisine and take part in a guided tour of the distillery.

Jayne Murphy, Marketing Director Malts at Chivas Brothers, explains: “The Scapa Sanctuary Trails are an invitation to experience Orkney through the lens of Scapa, to discover the landscapes and traditions that inspire our whisky making, and to savour our aged collection where it all begins.”

Many distilleries will make a claim about being inspired by the natural landscape of their home, but it can often feel a wee bit like empty marketing nonsense. Scapa are putting their money where their mouth is by encouraging their fans to visit the island and engage with its iconic scenery.

Among the options for the walks are a scenic 4.7 mile hike around Kirkwall and to the distillery, a slightly shorter route called the Crantit Trail, and the whopping 15 mile Folklore and Stones walk which leans into Orkney’s rich history of storytelling.

If you’re unable to make it to Orkney (it is a long way to go for a walk after all), an urban walking experience will be available in London this summer. This will include a walk along the Thames and a tasting experience in The Whisky Exchange’s tasting rooms. Less scenic perhaps, but no doubt equally enjoyable.

The whole notion of fostering a mindful connection to nature might feel wishy-washy at best and totally cringeworthy at worst, but to me the whisky and walking thing makes sense.

Or maybe I’m just too used to rewarding myself with a dram after anything that vaguely resembles outdoor activity…