Best UK distilleries to visit by campervan

Did you know that the UK boasts more than 300 distilleries, producing gin, vodka and whisky? A trip to one of these can make for a very nice day out – you just need to find somewhere safe to leave the campervan so you can properly enjoy your tipple!

We’ve rounded up some of the best distilleries to visit by camper here. As much as anything else, they can act as focal points for your road trip; an excuse to visit a particular part of the UK, if you need one.

Before we get into discussing some of those wonderful distilleries, however, a quick safety reminder. After all, we’re talking about alcohol here, which doesn’t mix well with driving a campervan.

So, let’s just take a moment to look at the law around driving under the influence of alcohol.

As Drink Aware explains, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the alcohol limit for drivers is 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath, or 107 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine.

In Scotland, the limit is 50 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, and 67 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine.

The amount of alcohol you would need to drink to be considered over the driving limit varies from person to person.

It depends on the following factors:

• Your weight, age, sex and metabolism
• The type and amount of alcohol you’re drinking
• Whether you’ve eaten a large meal recently
• Your stress levels at the time

Even what you might deem ‘negligible’ amounts of alcohol can affect your ability to drive so the only safe advice is to avoid any alcohol if you are getting behind the wheel.

It’s just not worth the risk – no matter how good the products are at the distillery. Being caught over the legal alcohol limit when driving can result in being banned from driving for at least 12 months and a sizable fine. You could even face a prison sentence of up to six months, depending on the severity of the incident.

Having a driving conviction can also affect your campervan insurance premiums next year. Nobody wants to pay more for their campervan insurance than they need to. So, your best bet is to time your visit to a distillery so that you don’t have to drive your campervan afterwards. If you’re travelling as part of a group, you could also nominate a designated driver who stays off the booze and lets everybody else indulge.

It’s up to you how you play it – but make sure you play it safe.

So, with the safety reminder out of the way, let’s shine a spotlight of 10 of the best distilleries from across the UK. We’re also including a suggestion on where to stay if you want somewhere local to get your head down for the night before setting off again in the morning – just not too early!

Liverpool Gin Distillery

Located on Castle Street, one of the original seven streets of Liverpool, Liverpool Gin Distillery is situated in a Grade II-listed building which has been respectfully renovated to accommodate the production of the alcoholic spirit.

Spread over four floors, there’s something for every taste here. In the basement, you’ll find the Dark Spirits Bar where you’ll be able to sample spirits from all around the world. On the ground floor, you’ll be greeted by “Margaret”, a 600L copper still, producing all Liverpool Gin. There’s also the Gin Bar, where more than 40 gins are on offer, along with other spirits, wines and beers.

If you’ve booked onto a Gin Lab Experience, you’ll be taken up to the first floor to be taught the process of gin making. You’ll be introduced to various botanicals and learn the history of gin, before distilling your own bottle.

The two-hour experience concludes with you naming your gin with a personalised label and wax sealing the bottle. Don’t worry, if you end up distilling a bottle of gin that proves to be the best thing you’ve ever tasted, the guys at the Liverpool Gin Distillery will keep a record of your recipe so you can reorder your creation again at a later date.

If you’re less confident about your gin-making abilities, you can get a gin tasting experience instead. You’ll still spend a bit of time in the gin labs learning the history of Gin and Liverpool Gin. But what you’re really paying for is the opportunity to taste all four of the Liverpool Gin Range, along with the perfect mixer and garnish of course!

It’s a short session at just over an hour, which makes it perfect if you have other sites you want to see in Liverpool.

Where to stay: Liverpool Marina. Just 1.5 miles away from the Liverpool Gin Distillery, you’ll get lovely views of the River Mersey for a £15 overnight stay.

The Lakes Distillery

Situated on the north shore of Bassenthwaite Lake – one of the largest bodies of water in the Lake District – The Lakes Distillery promises an experience like no other.

Practising “holistic whisky making”, where the whisky maker takes charge of the entire process from throughout the distillery and beyond, the Lakes says this gives “assurance that every flavour possibility is achieved”.

It’s very much a distillery for those who see whisky making as a bit of an art. If you’re intrigued by how The Lakes Distillery does it, you can go behind the scenes with a tour and tasting experience – here the whisky maker's unique approach comes to life.

The expert tour guide will invite you to explore the Still Room, understand how oak and cask seasoning affects the flavour of the drink, and discover how The Lakes whisky, gin, and vodka is made. Yes, that’s right – you don’t just have to stick with whisky if you don’t want to! You’ll get the chance to enjoy a hosted tasting of all three spirits, with the opportunity to visit the distillery shop where you’ll receive a discount on any purchase.

Once you’re done tasting, why not extend your stay at The Lakes by booking a table at the bistro? Perhaps a bite to eat will be in order after your tasting session – or maybe before?

Where to stay: Keswick Camping and Caravanning Club Site. Located nine miles from The Lakes Distillery, this Keswick camping site on the shores of the beautiful Derwentwater is hard to beat as a base for your explorations in this part of the world.

Cotswolds Distillery

Nestled in the heart of the beautiful Cotswolds countryside, the Cotswold Distillery is the pride and joy of US currency trader Daniel Szor, who, like so many people, fell in love with the area upon his first visit.

The distillery is situated on a four-acre farm, producing award-winning malt made from local barley, and a lavender-infused gin. It also makes spirits such as an absinthe and a barrel-aged Dutch-style jenever, all in the name of variation.

It hosts a mix of experiences including a tour around the distillery’s production areas and warehouses, under the stewardship of an expert, so you can see how it crafts its award-winning spirits. And yes, you'll get to sample the whole range of spirits and liqueurs at the end of the tour.

Alternatively, you can take part in a gin blending masterclass – which also comes with a tour of the distillery and the research and development lab – where you can mix the distillates as you wish, to make your very own, personalised tipple. Their whisky blending masterclass works in the same way.

Or you could do a cocktail masterclass with the distillery’s cocktail connoisseur, where you’ll be hands-on creating and learning the tricks of the trade from an expert mixologist.

Where to stay: Cotswolds Camping. Just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Cotswold Distillery, this quiet and simple site with Cotswolds views and holistic retreat centre will be just the tonic after a day’s alcohol sampling.

Lindores Abbey Distillery, Fife

We couldn’t not include a distillery north of the border. It's widely believed that whisky-making began in Scotland as winemaking methods spread from monasteries in Europe. Unable to grow grapes, monks used grain mash instead to produce an early form of the popular spirit.

Those early attempts at making whisky are thought to have taken place on site of the Lindores Abbey Distillery, at least as early as 1494, although it could’ve been happening long before that.

The earliest written reference to Scotch Whisky (or Aqua Vitae, as it was then known), which appears in the 1494 Exchequer Roll, which named Brother John Cor, a Lindores monk, as the person who was commissioned by King James IV to turn eight bolls of malt into Aqua Vitae.

Enough of the history lesson, what can you expect at the Lindores Abbey Distillery? If you’re intrigued by what the early form of whisky tasted like, the distillery recreates it – then asks you to do the same. The apothecary experience is a bit more expensive than a standard tour but it’s well worth it if you want to learn about the whisky’s origins.

You will be taken all the way through the spirit blending process, before you’re given the opportunity to make your very own aqua vitae. You choose which tinctures to add, and in which quantities, to create a unique spirit to your very individual taste.

Whether you opt for a simple tour, or level up with an apothecary experience, you’d be wise to finish your day with a visit to the Legacy Bar where you can enjoy an array of Aqua Vitae cocktails and drams, as well as something to soak up all that alcohol.

Where to stay: Balbirnie Park Caravan Club Site. This park might be a 30-minute drive away from the distillery but with the stunning beaches of Elie, Leven and St Monans just down the road, it’s worth the trip.

Salcombe Distilling Co, Devon

We finish off our little road trip down on the Devon coast at the Salcombe Distilling Co where it’s all about one spirit: gin.

Having only been born in 2016, Salcombe Distilling Co doesn’t have a great deal of history. So, all focus is put on the tasting of the distillery’s produce – not so bad. As soon as you arrive, you’ll receive a complimentary ‘Salcombe & Tonic’ before being introduced to ‘Provident’, a 450-litre Arnold Holstein copper still and learn about its role in the distillation process.

Then, you’ll get a guided tasting session where you’ll learn the history behind each spirit, the flavour profile and characteristics, and which tonic and garnish work best with each.

If you want the ultimate experience, however, you should opt for a place at the gin school. You’ll be handed a beautiful mini copper pot still to develop and distil your very own 70cl bottle of gin.

Where to stay: Bolberry House Farm Caravan and Camping Park. Less than four miles from Salcombe Distilling Co, this park is the perfect base for touring this glorious part of the west country.

How to protect your van with campervan insurance

Now it’s time to start mapping your road trip. But before you do so, you’ll want to ensure you’re getting the best campervan insurance available, just in case you should run into any issues.

Campervan insurance from Lancaster can come with many different benefits to help you enjoy your holiday trip to the fullest, protecting both your home on wheels and its contents.

Some of the benefits of cover can include:

• Up to 90 days EU cover with a 365-day option available for an additional premium
• Windscreen cover included
• Personal effects cover up to £6,000
• Gas bottles and awning cover
• Optional breakdown cover available from £49.95
• Limited mileage discounts available

Speak to the specialists at Lancaster Insurance today to get the policy that’s right for you and your classic campervan.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.