Bassenthwaite Lake (Lakes Distillery)

The Lakes Distillery occupies a beautifully restored Victorian model farm at Setmurthy, on the northern shore of Bassenthwaite Lake in the Lake District National Park. It is one of England's largest whisky distilleries and the first to be built in the Lake District in more than a century, opening in 2014. The site produces The Lakes single malt whisky, The One blended whisky, and a range of gins and vodkas, all using water drawn from the nearby River Derwent.

Visitors can take a guided distillery tour that walks through the full whisky-making process, from milling and mashing in the traditional copper stills to the maturation warehouses where casks of sherry-influenced single malt rest. Tastings are included, and the on-site bistro and shop overlook a courtyard that often hosts a small herd of resident alpacas, a popular feature with families.

The surrounding setting is part of the attraction. Bassenthwaite Lake is the only true "lake" in the Lake District (the others are meres or waters) and lies in the shadow of Skiddaw. Walking routes along the Allerdale Ramble pass nearby, and Keswick, Dodd Wood and the Mirehouse estate are all a short drive or bus ride away on the A66 corridor.