At this season of lengthening nights, there are some things best glimpsed from the corner of the eye—and perhaps never examined too closely.

In poetry and literature, a “shade” shares its ancient roots with “shadow” and can mean the spirit or ghost of someone who has died, particularly a soul lingering in the underworld. A shade is not necessarily a fully embodied ghost, but something more elusive—a shadowy echo of the person who once lived, sometimes carrying the emotions and unrest of their final moments.

This tartan seems made for such a night: shades of grey upon black—or perhaps black upon grey—blurring together like figures glimpsed at the edge of sight and suggesting that the veil between the quick and the dead may be thinner than it appears.

Few places in Scotland are more suited to tales of shades and shadows than Glamis Castle, standing in the Vale of Strathmore near Forfar in Angus. Centuries of history have gathered an extraordinary collection of legends around its walls, and Glamis is frequently described as one of Scotland’s most haunted castles.

Among its many tales are those of the Woman Without a Tongue, the Grey Lady of Glamis, the Young Servant Boy, Earl Beardie, the Secret Chamber, the doomed Ogilvys, and the mysterious Monster of Glamis.

Perhaps the most infamous is the ghost of Earl Beardie, a 15th-century figure identified in various versions of the legend with Alexander Lyon, 2nd Lord Glamis, or Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford. Known for his cruelty, drinking and love of gambling, Beardie was supposedly playing cards at Glamis on the Sabbath when he was warned to stop. Enraged, he cursed and swore that he would continue playing until Doomsday—even if he had to play with the Devil himself.

According to legend, a mysterious stranger soon arrived at the castle and joined him in his fateful game. The stranger was the Devil, and Earl Beardie had wagered far more than a handful of cards. His soul was condemned to remain at Glamis for eternity. The Earl is still said to wander the castle, sometimes appearing beside unsuspecting sleepers before returning to his hidden chamber to continue his eternal, and infernal game of cards.

So if something seems to move in the corner of the room tonight, it may simply be a trick of light and shadow, woven into the warp and weft of life.

Perhaps. 🖤 🖤 🖤 👻 👻 👻 🏰 ♠️ ♥️ ♣️ ♦️