A one-of-a-kind bottle of Ladyburn 1966 single malt Scotch whisky, featuring a rare photograph of Marilyn Monroe, has sold for a new auction record of £225,000 ($281,000) at the 2025 Distillers One of One Auction. The biennial charity sale, hosted by Sotheby’s at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh on October 10, featured 39 unique lots from leading Scotch distilleries.
The “Ladyburn One of One 2025 – Marilyn Monroe by Sam Shaw,” was donated by owner William Grant & Sons.
The liquid was drawn from a single 1966 cask, number 102092, one of the few remaining in existence from the lost distillery.
The third edition of the charity auction raised a grand total of £2,895,902 ($3.6 million). All hammer price proceeds from the event are donated to the Youth Action Fund.
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The fund is a charitable initiative managed by The Distillers’ Charity, the philanthropic arm of The Worshipful Company of Distillers. It focuses on supporting disadvantaged young people in Scotland.
Ladyburn was a Lowland distillery built in 1966 on the same site as the Girvan grain distillery. It was considered technologically advanced for its era but operated for less than a decade before being closed and dismantled in 1975.
Official bottlings from this “ghost” distillery are exceptionally rare and highly sought after by collectors.
The unique bottle’s packaging features a candid photograph of actress Marilyn Monroe taken by her friend, the acclaimed American photographer Sam Shaw.
Shaw (1912-1999) was known for his relaxed, informal portraits of celebrities and for his work as a film producer. His works remain a significant historical record of 20th-century Hollywood.
Brian Kinsman, Malt Master at William Grant & Sons, commented on the significance of the sale.
“Ladyburn is a piece of history,” Kinsman said. “It’s one of those distilleries, it came and went, but the legacy lives on.”
“We are pleased to see this landmark sale of Ladyburn One of One 2025 – Marilyn Monroe by Sam Shaw, supporting philanthropy and the impactful work of the Youth Action Fund.”
