St Andrews is set for a new distillery and visitor centre following the news that EDEN MILL St Andrews has received full planning permission for the build, having signed a 50-year lease with the University of St Andrews Eden Campus. The campus is dedicated to zero-carbon, sustainable businesses and Eden Mill plan to build just that by creating one of the world’s first climate-positive distilleries.
The multi-million-pound distillery will be partially powered through the University’s recently commissioned ground solar development and a future roof-mounted system on top of the distillery. Eden Mill is also discussing with the University the potential for capturing carbon from production processes that may be used to produce alternative fuels.
EDEN MILL St Andrews managing director and founder Paul Miller said, “The vision for the Eden Mill distillery has been closely developed with the University of St Andrews. Its fabulous location at the mouth of the River Eden meets the romantic requirements for single malt scotch whisky, while the strictly sustainable nature of our new distillery and the environmentally innovative surroundings of the campus are perfect for our progressive brand.”
The announcement follows the news at the start of the year that EDEN MILL St Andrews had received investment from Edinburgh-based specialist consumer brand investor Inverleith LLP, taking a majority stake in the company. The investment allows EDEN MILL St Andrews to realise its new distillery and meet its sustainability ambitions.
EDEN MILL St Andrews Chair of the Board of Directors Stella Morse said, “We are delighted to have received full planning permission and confirmed our long lease with the University of St Andrews to build on the decade of foundations laid by EDEN MILL St Andrews with our new and ambitious contemporary gin & single malt scotch whisky distillery. We’re pleased to have worked in partnership with the University of St Andrews to secure planning permission for what will become one of Scotland’s future iconic distilleries. Our values and ambition regarding sustainability are closely aligned and we look forward to opening the distillery to visitors from across the globe in 2023.”
Construction work on the distillery has already commenced and the new distillery and visitor centre is scheduled to open in the first half of 2023. EDEN MILL expects the distillery to become one of the leading visitor attractions in the St Andrews area and will also provide new jobs in region.
As well as the distillery, the Campus is home to the award-winning biomass energy centre and university spin-out companies working at the frontiers of science and technology – producing sustainable antibiotics, new fuel cells, synthetic proteins and new forms of batteries.