The ghostly Earl of Crawford

The ghost of Alexander Lindsay the 4th Earl of Crawford ("Earl Beardie") is said to haunt a walled-up chamber, high up in the uninhabited West Tower of Glamis Castle. Legend has it that Earl Beardie was thrown down the stone staircase after being accused of cheating in a poker game with Lord Glamis and two other Scottish chieftains.

Lindsay is said to have started shouting that if no man would play with him he would play with the very "devil" himself. With these words barely out of his mouth a tall dark man, wearing a long cloak, walked into the room and started playing cards with him.

It is not known what happened after that but the tall dark man was never seen again and Earl Beardie died five years afterwards.

The ghost of Earl Beardie has been heard on numerous occasions, stamping has feet and swearing at "something" in the room at Glamis.

A popular belief is that the tall dark man was the "devil" and that "Beardie" had indeed "sold his soul" as a result of the gambling.

Image by alfonso diaz