The history steeped walls of Meldrum House sit peaceably amidst glorious surroundings of woodland and parkland. Reached via a long drive that meanders past an 18 hole golf course, the house itself is a sprawling baronial mansion that sports impressive round towers and exquisite chimney stacks. Its origins go back to the 13th century, although considerable additions and renovations were carried out in the 17th, 19th and 20th centuries respectively.

The house’s oldest resident is the mysterious white lady. She is believed to be the ghost of Isabella Douglas whose portrait hangs above the fire place in the hotel’s cosy reception area. Women in particular are susceptible to her spectral attentions and several housekeepers have reported feeling their apron strings being tugged by her invisible hand. Her shade has frequently been seen around the hotel and she often appears when the air is heavy with thunder. Indeed in 1985, during a raging thunderstorm she gave a male guest quite a shock when she suddenly appeared from nowhere and planted a cold kiss upon his cheek! At other times staff can actually tell whether she has happy or agitated by the way in which her phantom moves around. If she is content she walks slowly, but should she be discontented she will glide around premises, chilling the blood of any who encounter her. She seems to have settled down considerably since her portrait was moved from elsewhere in the hotel to its current over the fire location. Maybe it’s because she is now able to greet guests as they enter her house, but as one member of staff told me “she’s been a lot happier since the move.”

Finally, should a male guest who is even remotely descended from either the Meldrum, Seton or Urquhart families - the three dynasties with whom the house’s history is most indelibly linked - is placed in room three, he can look forward to being woken in the night by the alarming sensation of an invisible female scratching his chest. Staff confess that they are at a loss as to whether or not the ghost of Isabella Douglas is actually responsible for this.