Bushmills' Grey Lady

This distillery in Northern Ireland, not far from the mystical Giant's Causeway, is home to a ghost nicknamed 'The Grey Lady.' She is said to be the wife of a local man, who took the family dog for a walk many years ago and disappeared. His wife searched for him until her death, and now she continues to look for him around the local area, including in the distillery - the home to his favourite drink. Her presence is felt in the distillery when she opens secured windows, and creates a sudden cold atmosphere every now and then.

Try: Bushmills 16 Year Old, our favourite dram from the world's oldest licensed distillery.

Glenrothes' Ghostly Butler

Opposite Glenrothes distillery, in the Speyside region of Scotland, is an ancient chapel and adjoining village graveyard. This was the final resting place of Byeway, a servant to Glen Grant's founder Major James Grant whom he brought from Zimbabwe as a boy. Real name Biawa Makalanga, he lived a contented life in Glenrothes, adopting the local accent, while working as a butler and as a goalkeeper for the local football team. He died in 1972, and left his life savings to Rothes Football club.

He reappeared in ghostly form around 1980, when the distillery was undergoing construction work. He was spotted in the still house on two separate occasions, until Professor Cedric Wilson surmised that the installation of shiny new stills has disturbed a lyeline. He apparently 'had a chat' with his gravestone to resolve the issue and Byeway's ghost was never seen again. Regardless, during whisky tastings at Glenrothes they always begin with a 'toast to the ghost' to make sure he stays happy.

Try: Darkness Glenrothes 13 Year Old Oloroso Cask Finish, aged for unlucky 13 years with flavours of croissants, cinnamon and nuts.

Glen Scotia's Doomed Loch

At one point in the 19th century, Campbeltown was the centre of the whisky world before the area turned into a ghost town due to WW1 and prohibition. Glen Scotia survived, however, in 1928, it's owner Duncan McCallum went bankrupt after a dodgy business deal. On the night before Christmas Eve, he died in mysterious circumstances, with some saying that he threw himself in the Campbeltown Loch, distraught at his failings. It is his spirit that is said to haunt the still houses of Glen Scotia distillery, the whisky made with water from the Loch. Many employees refuse to go to certain areas after dark, frightened of the tortured ghost of it's former owner.

Try: Glen Scotia Victoriana, made to reflect the whiskies of the glory days of Campbeltown.

Jura's Two Ghouls

Two hauntings over 200 years apart have cursed the island of Jura. Back in 1781, Laird Archibald Campbell banned distilling on the island, only to be awoken by the spectre of an old woman hovering over his bed cursing him for taking her beloved drink away. This led to him changing his mind, a bit like like Charlemagne, and he decided to build the original Jura distillery in 1810. Not only that, to appease the ghost he left a 16-year-old bottle of Scotch in a smuggler's cave for good measure.

The second happened in 2010, when ghost hunters visited the distillery and found, not a furious old lady, but a kind schoolteacher named Elizabeth Quinn. She whispered to the visitors, asking 'how are the children doing?' Former distillery manager, Willie Cochrane, confirmed there actually had been a teacher called Elizabeth who lived on the island many years before.

Try: Jura Seven Wood, matured in seven cask types, with flavours of peach, smoke and liquorice.

Tomatin's Vengeful Wolf

Legend says that the last wolf in Scotland was killed in forests nearby to Tomatin, and to curse the people of Caledonia for extinguishing it's kind, the beast's spirit lingered within the distillery. It lurks in the dark, revealing itself to intimidate those who are alone, before disappearing into a cloud of blue smoke. The distillery has even released a special smoky bottling called Cù Bògan (ghost dog in Gaelic).

Try: Tomatin Cask Strength, strong at 57.5% abv, this will ward off the beast.

For some Halloween cocktail recipes, see here.