Eden Mill get green light for new carbon-neutral distillery

Gin and whisky producer Eden Mill has been given full planning permission for a new distillery and visitor centre in St Andrews.

A 50-year land lease has been signed with the University of St Andrews, with the new building to be constructed on its Eden Campus, which is dedicated to zero-carbon, sustainable businesses and research enterprises.

The multi-million-pound distillery will be partially powered through the university’s ground solar development and a future roof mounted system on top of the distillery.

It is hoped the new distillery, which will sit at the mouth of the River Eden in St Andrews, will be one of the world's first carbon neutral distilleries.

The company is also in discussion with the university over the potential for capturing carbon from production processes, which may be used to produce alternative fuels.

Stella Morse, chairwoman of the board of directors at Eden Mill St Andrews, said the drinks firm was “delighted” to have been granted planning permission and to sign the lease for its “new and ambitious contemporary gin and single malt Scotch whisky distillery”.

She said: “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.”

Eden Mill founder and managing director 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.”

Derek Watson, of the University of St Andrews, said they had now reached an “exciting milestone in the relationship between the University of St Andrews and Eden Mill, which has been based at what is now the Eden Campus for a decade”.

He said: “The regeneration of the former paper mill site and the creation of Eden Campus is a major strategic move for the university, which will provide an exceptional working environment for our staff, breathe new life into the local economy of Guardbridge and have a beneficial impact on the town of St Andrews and beyond.”

As well as the distillery, the Eden 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.

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.

The company expects the distillery to become one of the leading visitor attractions in the St Andrews area and provide new jobs in the region.