Some dramatic events have taken place at Invergordon, mainly to do with its status as a naval base. In 1915 ammunition carried in a cruiser blew up and 400 men died; in 1931 the Invergordon Mutiny took place; and it has become the repair yard to the great floating rigs of North Sea oil.

It is also remembered for the performance just before World War II of a BBC radio commentator in the days when broadcasting meant going live. Expected to give a rousing commentary to the listening nation on the night-time splendour of the fleet assembled to send Hitler packing, all he could produce was the repeating expression that 'the fleetsh all lit up, all lit up, itsh ... itsh ... lovely and ... all lit up.'

He could not have been drinking Invergordon whisky, however, because this complex, the only grain distillery in the Highlands, did not begin producing until 1961. It was a conscious effort to bring work to the northern Highlands and the plant is now the largest of its kind in Europe.

Grain spirit for blending and neutral alcohol are produced on a unique still, designed in-house as a development of the Coffey still. The grain whisky is used for the company's blending, sold to the industry and traded for malt whiskies. Ben Wyvis is a malt whisky distillery with a single pair of stills on the same site, but has been silent since 1977. It is an extremely rare spirit.

Recently, Invergordon began bottling a single grain whisky - one of only two in the whole of Scotland - to serve modern consumer interest in unblended Scotch from individual distilleries. It is 10 years old; silky and light in texture, gently wooded and fragrant, with a pleasant bite from 43% vol. alcohol.