The Lakes Distillery single malt should be ready in late 2017

A fitting end to many a Highland walk is a snifter of the local single malt from one of Scotland’s many distilleries.

Now, Lakeland walkers can look forward to enjoying a tipple created in the national park.

The Lakes Distillery at Setmurthy, close to the banks of Bassenthwaite Lake, draws its water from the River Derwent, with origins at Sprinkling Tarn in the Central Fells.

Its first single malt will be available in 2017, after it has been allowed to mature. In the meantime, a blended whisky from sources in the British Isles, plus vodka and gin are on sale at the Lake District site.

The team behind the Lakes Distillery, which includes managing director Paul Currie who co-founded the Arran Distillery, master distiller Chris Anderson with more than 30 years’ experience and Alan Rutherford a former production director of Diageo, have renovated the historic buildings of an old Victorian model farm next to the River Derwent and close to Bassenthwaite Lake, and are producing the new single malt whisky.

A distillery tour, including the story of Cumbria’s most notorious distiller and smuggler, Lancelot ‘Lanty’ Slee, might also make a diversion for those Lakeland Days when the weather just makes the fells a little less than inviting.

The Lakes Distillery opened to the public in December 2014. The Lakes Single Malt began production November 2014 and will be available late 2017.

More details are on the Lakes Distillery site.