4 Spooky and Dramatic Whisky Legends and Stories
As gorgeous and breathtaking as the Scottish countryside can be, it can also be atmospheric, and dare I say, quite spooky, especially after dark or on a grey and misty winter’s evening. Considering many of Scotland’s whisky distilleries are located in rural and isolated spots across the country, they too can be a little eerie and have spawned many-a-ghost story over the centuries.
Whisky is a spirit that’s as mysterious as it is delicious. Its history is intertwined with that of Scotland, so naturally, there are plenty of myths, tales, legends, and ghost stories associated with Uisge Beatha (water of life).
While Halloween’s a long way off yet, I though today I’d tell you a few ghost stories and legends surrounding Scotland’s iconic distilleries and the whisky they produce.
The Spanish Lady of GlenDronach Distillery
GlenDronach Distillery has played host to plenty of spirits over the years, but there is one spirit in particular that is said to be of a decidedly different nature. One which is said to be from another world. That spirit is said to be that of a Spanish lady.
GlenDronach has been creating fine single malts since 1826. They’re fond of a fine sherry cask finish, especially an Oloroso sherry. Apparently, one of the
casks they used for finishing their whisky contained more than just sherry.
The tale goes that back in the 1970s, the distillery was importing a great deal of Oloroso sherry casks from Spain. One day, while unloading a shipment of casks, one of the workers in the warehouse spotted a woman dressed in a red mantilla (a type of lace scarf worn by women over the head and arms) climbing out of one of the empty casks before vanishing right before his eyes.
Ever since, there have been sporadic sightings of the woman around the distillery, though where she originated, and how she wound up in the Scottish Highlands remains a mystery to this day.
Tom Campbell and the Devil
Our next tale takes us back a couple of centuries, to the barren Highlands of Scotland.
It is said that a plague swept across Scotland, claiming countless lives in the process. By the time it reached Wigtown, the locals were at their wits end. One cold winter’s night, a Highlander by the name of Tom Campbell stopped off at his local tavern after work. Tom, like many other true Scots, was fond of a wee dram or two and, fearful that he should become housebound should he succumb to the plague, picked up a bottle of his favourite whisky to keep him going.
Before he set off home, he raised his dram in toast, declaring ‘the plague is devil’s work right enough, but he’ll not get the best of me’.
As he stumbled through the dense wilderness, there in the pale moonlight stood a figure. The figure let out a laugh and said ‘Tom! I hear ye’ve been having a laugh at my expense! It’s now time to pay!’
Tom, however, was not fazed. Instead, he mocked the devil and offered him a drink. The devil clearly couldn’t handle his whisky like a true Scot, and after half a bottle he could barely stand. The devil offered Tom the chance to fight for his soul, under the ancient Highland code of fair combat. Tom agreed, in exchange for the devil lifting the plague should he win.
The two locked up and wrestled. Tom, a burly Highlander, gained the upper hand over the inebriated devil and after several hours, defeated him. Tom took a final swig from his bottle and collapsed, exhausted as the devil vanished right before his eyes.
Upon waking, the plague had indeed been lifted, and the villagers were not longer sick. Tom Campbell, with the help of his favourite whisky, had defeated Satan himself.
The Headless Horseman of Bowmore
To Bowmore Distillery next, where it is said that a headless spectre on horseback haunts the grounds.
One dark and misty night, as a storm ravaged the island of Islay, a crofter by the name of Lachlan Ban was on his way home after a long day. As he reached his house, he saw something that made his blood run cold. There, galloping away from his home, he saw a headless horseman.
As Lachlan entered his home however, he became even more terrified as the fire in his home had gone out, and there on the table sat an open bottle of Bowmore whisky. Lachlan threw the bottle away, fearing it to be cursed.
Now, some of the more sceptical individuals out there have a different story. It goes that Lachlan’s brother had visited his home to leave him a bottle of whisky to help pass the time before the storm cleared. As he opened the door a gust of wind blew out the fire. Before he left, he took a quick sip of the whisky, pulled his cloak over his head, and hopped on his horse, riding off into the rain-soaked night…
Personally, I like the first story better, but that’s just me.
The Ghost of Glenrothes Distillery
During the Boer War, Colonel Grant of Rothes is said to have rescued a young orphaned African boy from under a bush. The boy was called Biawa Makalaga, though he was known as Byeway.
Upon returning to Scotland at the turn of the 20th Century, Grant brought the young boy home with him, giving him work as his helper at the distillery. The young boy took a huge interest in whisky production and quickly endeared himself to the locals.
Byeway sadly passed away in 1972 and was buried a stone’s throw away from the distillery, at a cemetery just over the pass. In 1980, stillmen working at the distillery began to notice strange goings on. They heard loud bangs, things went missing, and one of the workers noted a ghostly figure in the stillroom that was the spitting image of Biawa. He was spotted again a short time later.
Word of the alleged haunting reached Cedric Wilson, a professor and paranormal phenomena expert. He visited the distillery and immediately set to work, heading over to the cemetery to visit Byeway’s grave. He returned a short time later with a solution. Apparently, Byeway’s spirit was restless because of a misalignment of the stills. Byeway was concerned that the misalignment would negatively impact the spirit inside and harm the whisky.
The stills were examined and were indeed found to be misaligned. This was quickly put right and Byeway’s ghost has never been seen since.
Should you ever visit the distillery, it is customary to take a dram of Glenrothes whisky and raise a ‘Toast to the Ghost’ in respect of Byeway and his decades of service at the distillery.
If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at what we have to offer.
With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.
Greg
You might be interested in
More from the blog
Follow greatdrams
latest articles
Latest whisky
exclusively from GreatDrams
