THE timeless allure of the 'water of life' is drawing increasing numbers of women, young professionals and overseas visitors to whisky festivals in this country.

And such events could be helping to widen the appeal of the drink, said VisitScotland.

Organisers of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, which runs from April 30 to May 4 as part of Whisky Month in May, believe that women make up over a third of the attendees, while a fifth of visitors are thought to between 18-34.

The festival's events attract over 27,000 visits.

Ann Miller, one of the festival's directors, said: "In the past decade alone we've certainly noticed an increased number of women and younger visitors attending the Festival. This is fantastic to see however, we are always keen to attract more visitors."

May's programme includes not just the Speyside festival but also Spirit of Stirling Whisky Festival (May 9), World Whisky Day (May 16), Mhor Fest (May 23- 24) and the Islay Malt and Music Festival (May 22-30).

Fourteen months ago, a survey marking 100 days to World Whisky Day 2014 found that more young people than ever before were choosing to drink whisky, though not in traditional ways. More than 60% of young people aged 18 to 24 described themselves as whisky drinkers - but a quarter of them said it had to be with Coke or other mixers.

World Whisky Day was founded by Blair Bowman, a whisky enthusiast and graduate of Aberdeen University, who has done much to reach younger whisky consumers.

Reports have spoken of plans by many of the big-name single-malt brands to capture a younger market, as well as to encourage more female drinkers to swap from vodka and other clear spirits to whisky.

Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive, said: "Whisky is one of Scotland's most valuable commodities, with visitors from all over the world coming to our shores to experience an authentic Scottish dram. It is fantastic to hear that events, tours and whisky experiences are now actively catering for a diverse range of enthusiasts.

"Widening the appeal of whisky amongst less traditional audiences is important if we want to encourage more visitors to come to Scotland, particularly during the Year of Food and Drink 2015."

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "Scotland is a modern, dynamic nation with a rich heritage, confident of our place in the world and Whisky month provides us with an opportunity to showcase one of our most iconic products, Scotch Whisky, which is revered around the world as a product representing quality and provenance."