Scotland - The Home of (Ghostly) Spirits
Here at The Scotch Whisky Experience, we never stop talking about spirits. Today, however, we’re turning our attention to the ghostly kind. From haunted warehouses to mysterious apparitions, Scotland’s distilleries are home to some fascinating tales and legends.
The Spanish Lady
Founded in 1836 by James Allardes, Glendronach Distillery is renowned for its sherry cask-matured whisky. Sherry casks are often imported from Spain, and according to local legend, one sherry-loving spirit crossed these borders inside one of those casks (Oloroso to be precise) and decided to occupy the historic Glen House. The story goes that, while one of these cask shipments was being unloaded, a woman dressed in scarlet and wearing a full mantilla was spotted emerging from an empty cask. Named the ‘Spanish Lady’, she is said to be quite partial to a wee dram from time to time. Many guests residing in Glen House have either seen her or felt her presence, especially late at night and after a tipple or two!
The White Lady
The White Lady, as she is known, haunts the old floor maltings at Glenmorangie Distillery in the Highlands. It is said she has been responsible for removing entire sheets of wallpaper from the wall without causing it to rip! The legend of the White Lady was often cited by distillery managers, who warned newly employed apprentices that the mere sight of the apparition had driven men mad. After the unsettling warning, none of the apprentices would have a kip on the job: “Back in the days when Glenmorangie had its floor maltings site, the shovellers were expected to work around the clock,” explains Graham Eunson (Glenmorangie’s former distillery manager). “Given that one sleepy shoveller could ruin the next day’s mash, it’s possible the threat of an imminent apparition was all that was needed to keep the night shift awake…”
The Smartest Ghost on the Island
This story begins 29 years after a ban on distilling whisky was imposed on the residents of Jura in 1781. Laird Archibald Campbell, who initially outlawed distilling, woke up in the middle of the night to see a ghostly old woman hovering over his bed. A woman after our own heart, she berated him over the lack of golden nectar on the island. Legend has it, that this apparition persuaded him to reverse his initial decision and open a distillery at an old smuggler’s cave in 1810. A bottle of 16 year old whisky is still left in a secret cave somewhere on the island, just to make sure that the ghostly woman won’t visit anyone again in the middle of the night!
