10 Haunted whisky distilleries

Some whisky distilleries have their spooky ghost stories. Here is a selection, best enjoyed with a dram, of course:

Glendronach Distillery

Speyside distillery Glendronach imported a large quantity of Spanish Oloroso sherry casks in the 1970s. Apparently, while unloading one of the barrels, a stowaway was sighted escaping from an empty barrel, dressed in scarlet and black and clad in a full mantilla (a veil worn by Spanish women from the Middle Ages, which covered the head and neck).

She was described as small and dark. Since then, a beautiful, exotic woman has been spotted in various parts of the distillery, her skirts rustling to indicate her presence. However, her favorite place is said to be the nearby Glen House, particularly the GlenDronach room where she can find shelter from the Scottish cold. It’s said that after a few whiskies you can feel them more easily, especially if you’re single…

Kilbeggan Distillery

Kilbeggan Distillery, or Lockes Distillery as it was originally known, dates back to 1757 and is known as one of the oldest licensed distilleries in the world. With such a rich history, the distillery caught the attention of Derek Acorah, the infamous ‘Psychic’ and star of Britain’s ‘Most Haunted TV Show’. According to Acorah, several previous owners of the distillery continue to roam the site, including Kilbeggan’s founder Matthew McManus and his son John, who was executed in 1798 for violating curfew and alleged membership of the United Irishmen.

During the show, Acorah recited several little-known facts that he claimed were told to him by the spirits, much to the surprise of distillery manager Brian Quinn. But it’s not just the medium that has conflicted with appearances at the historic distillery. For years, both locals and staff have reported close encounters and strange noises on the premises.

The Glenrothes Distillery

When you visit the Glenrothes distillery in Speyside, it’s customary to ‘a toast to the ghost’. In this case one celebrates the memory of Biawe ‘Byeway’ Makalaga. He was rescued from starvation-stricken Matabeleland (which is in Zimbabwe) by Major James Grant, owner of the Glen Grant Distillery, and taken to Scotland, where he served as the major’s page and then butler. Byeway eventually outlived the major by 40 years and led a quiet life until his death in 1972. He was known as an avid supporter of local football club FC Rothes and was given a place of honor for life and a cup of tea at half-time.

A few years later, in 1979, reports came from the Glenrothes distillery of an old man with dark skin and a scratchy beard who turned up during the evening and night shifts. Cedric Wilson, a pharmacology professor and amateur paranormal researcher, then came to the distillery to investigate the situation and stated that Byeway’s mind had been disturbed by the installation of new whisky stills. Wilson then managed to locate Byeway’s grave and “talk” to him, claiming that the matter was settled amicably. Byeway’s ghost has not been seen since.

Glen Scotia Distillery

We continue our ghost hunt in Campbeltown at the Glen Scotia Distillery. On the night before Christmas Eve 1930, local industrialist and distillery owner Duncan MacCallum died in what current distillery manager Iain McAlister describes as “mysterious circumstances”. It is said that he drowned himself in Crosshill Loch, the distillery’s water supply. According to Berry Bros. & Rudd, McCallum was motivated to commit suicide after losing a fortune in a shady deal. Whatever the truth, his spirit has remained at the distillery to this day - meaning many employees don’t venture into certain areas after dark.

Apparently MacCallum’s Specter keeps a particularly close eye on contractors, who have reported feeling like they are being watched by a ghostly presence. Maybe he wants to make sure that no more messy business happens…

Southern Grace Distilleries

An abandoned prison became a distillery. Southern Grace is based in the old Mount Pleasant prison in North Carolina, which served as a low-security labor camp for up to 400 inmates from 1929 to 2011. Long, narrow corridors with tiny cells line the building. Tourists sip whisky at tastings inside the old building, and other cellblocks serve as the main workspace for the distillery. In the few years it has been open, workers have reported strange occurrences such as keys disappearing and then reappearing in public. Ghostly noises ring through the chambers. Phantom steps echo through the halls. It’s a modern Alcatraz… making whisky!

Gooderam and Worts Distillery, Toronto

James Worts and his brother-in-law, William Gooderham, emigrated to Canada from Suffolk, England, to set up a milling business in Toronto. However, after his wife died in childbirth just a few years later, in 1834, Worts committed suicide by drowning himself in the windmill well. The mill became a distillery run by Gooderham and Wort’s eldest son, also known as James, and became the largest alcoholic beverage distiller in the world, with an annual output of 2.1 million gallons.

By the 1880s both Gooderham and Worts had died and when the country entered Prohibition the distillery almost went with them. It wasn’t until Harry C. Hatch bought it in 1923 that bizarre things began to happen around the distillery. The day’s workers and visitors report seeing doors opening and closing and lights flickering as James Wort Sr. himself continues to show up for work.

Bowmore Distillery

Now we take the ferry to Islay where we tell a chilling story about Bowmore. So chilled, it’s said to have influenced drinking culture on the island… It is said that Islay farmer Lachlan Bàn was returning home one dark and stormy night when he saw the ghostly silhouette of a headless horseman galloping away from his home.

Though he had no head, the Rider was clearly a gregarious type: he appeared to have left Bàn a bottle of Bowmore (although only after taking a dram himself). When Bàn came in, the bottle was open on the table and the fire was out. Frightened, he didn’t want to keep the genie’s gift, so he threw it away.

Of course, there is a logical explanation for all this. According to Bowmore, Bàn’s brother later said to him: “Lachlan, I died during that terrible storm last Friday night. The wind had thrown open your door and blown out the fire. I brought a bottle of Bowmore to share with you but couldn’t wait long so I took a quick swig and rode home with my coat pulled over my head to keep out the rain.” Upon hearing this, Bàn was - perhaps understandably - too embarrassed to tell the islanders the truth. That’s why even now, a true Ileach (native of Islay) will always open a fresh bottle for guests.

Isle of Jura Jura Distillery

On the remote island of Jura, off the west coast of Scotland and literally yards from Islay, there are not one, but two spirits associated with whiskies. The first was responsible for building a new distillery on the island. Laird Archibald Campbell was the owner of the island and the still. Almost 30 years later, he was awakened in the middle of the night by the ghost of an angry old woman hovering over his head. She was angry that he had banned the manufacture of whisky and verbally abused him. The squire was so frightened that in 1810 he built a new distillery. Apparently a bottle of whisky remains buried on the site of the old distillery to this day to appease the old woman’s ghostly wrath.

Jura’s second ghost story is more recent. Elvis the Cat, a local cat, captured an image of a ghostly woman on his cat cam to be used as a promotional tool for the distillery. A psychic, Joan Charles, was then called to the island to investigate. She stayed at the distillery lodge and felt the presence of someone strong, authoritative and kind. She claimed the ghost’s name was Elizabeth Quinn. As it turned out, then-head of the distillery, Willie Cochrane, confirmed that there was a teacher named Elizabeth who once lived on the island.

On another occasion, late one night at the lodge, Jura brand ambassador Willie Tait heard a disembodied voice telling him, “The kids are fine.” So it appears to be at least a friendly ghost.

Glenmorangie Distillery

Glenmorangie’s spirit appears to have a penchant for interior design - and impressive DIY skills. The White Lady, as she is known, haunts the (now closed) malt houses of the distillery, but is also said to have removed entire lengths of wallpaper without causing a single tear.

Distillery manager at the time, Graham Eunson, told Kindred Spirits magazine in 2005: “We could have understood if the walls had been damp, but they were bone dry. No one could explain it, which inevitably led to talk of the White Lady being at work.

Buffalo Trace Distillery

The history of the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky dates back to 1787. A ghost resides at Buffalo Trace Distillery who cannot quit his job… even in the afterlife. Colonel Albert Blanton began as a clerk and worked his way up to President by the early 1900s. He died on the estate in 1959, but his spirit has lingered to this day. He’s known for pinching the ground in warehouses and leaving inexplicable footprints, which terrifies even the trained paranormal seekers who’ve made the pilgrimage to the Bourbon Distillery.