St Andrews’ whisky and gin distillery, Eden Mill, has reached a milestone in the multi-million-pound construction of its new extended distillery and visitor centre on the banks of the River Eden.
Located at the University of St Andrews’ Eden Campus, a site dedicated to sustainable businesses and research firms, work began on the distillery early last year.
This project to create a ‘major new Scottish landmark’ has now begun the second phase of construction, which will finish in 2024 with the distillery becoming fully operational, alongside a new gin and whisky visitor experience, retail store and café.
The wider Eden Campus is to become a hub for collaboration within the private sector, to develop sustainable technologies, such as CO2 conversion into fuel and hydrogen-based energy systems. The campus is also designed to become a ‘living lab’ where low-carbon technology and net-zero living is demonstrated in real life.
The campus won the Sustainable Development Award at the Scottish Green Energy Awards and Eden Mill has since partnered with the University of St Andrews to build the distillery on this site.
Executive Chair at Eden Mill, Stella Morse, said: “This new home is where we will continue producing our contemporary Scottish gins and restart distillation of our premium single Malt Scotch Whiskies, which will be laid down to mature over the coming years.
“Set to become one of Scotland’s iconic distilleries, it will also be a major St Andrews landmark and a Scottish tourist attraction, sitting at the mouth of the River Eden, with views across to the spires and fairways of St Andrews, a town globally renowned as the ‘Home of Golf’ and famed for its heritage and historic university.”
Director of the University of St Andrews Eden Campus, Geoff Morris, commented: “We are delighted that the Eden Mill team will be back at Eden Campus this month and forging ahead with their plans to create a world-class distillery and visitor centre. Apart from the high-quality products, we are especially pleased that the company will bring new skills and create local jobs. We will all raise a glass to that!”
The new Eden Mill Distillery is being constructed using sustainable build materials and, once operational, will secure all its electricity from renewable sources, such as the university’s solar farm. In addition to this, the CO2 produced during the fermentation process will be captured for later use by the university.
The distillery has been designed by Glasgow-based architects Opfer Logan as a ‘unique space dedicated to sustainable business practice and research’ and is set to open in 2024.
Chief Operating Officer at Eden Mill, Rennie Donaldson, added: “The new facility is a fantastic opportunity to revolutionise how we produce our gin and whisky and will incorporate as many environmentally friendly features as possible.
“We are committed to working with local contractors and specialists on this renovation project and we can’t wait to open a space that’s versatile, acts as a community hub and practices sustainable distilling methods.”
