A Haunted Halloween Hop–Painted Lady Ghosts of Scotland

Welcome to my Stop on ABA’s Haunted Halloween Hop. Keep hopping by using the list of writers at the bottom of this post.

My topic? Ghosts, of course.

When I decided to write Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones, I wanted the series to be chock full of everything I love—haunted castles, men in kilts, witches, Scotland, did I mention men in kilts, and–lastly but not leastly–ghosts.

A quick bit of research reveals that Scotland glows with female ghosts of various hues. I wanted to add a couple of ghosts of color, and thus, the Lilac Lady of Castle Logan was born—because I like purple and I like the smell of lilacs and all those Ls make for nice alliteration. In life, she was a crazy witch bent on the destruction of the Logan clan in general and of her husband, laird of Castle Logan, in particular. Being burned at the stake did not improve her disposition. She plays an important part in Zoraida’s journey of self-discovery.

Take a look at this rainbow of lady ghosts and—after you read Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones—tell me if you can see which real-life (or real-dead) ghosts I used for inspiration.

The Green Lady of Comlongon Castle

Lady Marion Curruthers died at the

foot of the castle tower where legend says no grass has ever grown.  Before his death, her father arranged a marriage for her with Sir James Douglas. Only problem—she hated every inch of James Douglas’s guts so she refused to marry him. When she defied a decree some said came from none other than Mary Queen of Scots, Lady Marion found herself locked in the tower by her uncle. The story goes that she jumped out the window in despair on the 25^th of September, 1570. Another story has the uncle’s minions tossing her out because of her recalcitrance. Either way, she is not a happy apparition and appears as a weeping lady in a long green gown. And who can blame her? Sir James Douglas, by virtue of his legal betrothal to Lady Marion and despite her protests, inherited all the wealth and lands. To top it off, no one was ever punished for her murder­­––if murder it was.

The White Lady of Claypotts Castle

Rumor has it that John Graham performed diabolic rituals in the castle, but that may have been propaganda spread by his enemies. However, tales of orgies, screaming, demonic images, cackling laughter, not to mention the stomping of the Horses of Hell keep the populace a healthy distance from the castle come nightfall. A lady in white who waves a handkerchief from the window is supposed to be either Marion Ogilvie, mistress of Cardinal Beaton who was murdered on May 29^th 1546 or the ghost of a mistress of John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee—aka Bonnie Dundee or bluidy Clavers. The Lady is said to return to the castle on the 29^th of May. John Graham was killed at the battle of Killiecrankie in 1689 and is also reported to return on the 29thof May.

The Grey Lady of Glamis Castle

Lady Jane Douglas was burned for witchcraft in 1540. King James V, who

never liked the plaguey Douglases anyhow, appropriated the lavish castle after the scandal. A ghostly woman is often seen in the clock tower surrounded by flames. She might be the grey lady who frequents the chapel. Glamis Castle is a busy place, supernaturally speaking, housing no fewer than a dozen ghosts. You can’t swing a dead cat without stirring up one spirit or another.

The Pink Lady of Stirling Castle

After Edward I defeated William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, Stirling Castle was the last stronghold of Scotland. It took six years of war, but Edward and his twelve siege engines at last had the Scots treed.  For four long months, The English bombarded Stirling with Greek fire, rocks, and whatever else they could lay their hands on. Though the garrison of 30 surrendered, many died of starvation during the siege. The Pink Lady is thought to be a noblewoman who pined away  for her lover, a soldier who starved to death in the Castle. People say the faint scent of rose lingers just before she appears. She wanders between the Kirk Tower and the Castle, waiting for the Day of Judgement when she will find her brave Scottish knight again.

Meet the Lilac Lady and the witches of Castle Logan in Zoraida Grey and the Family Stones. You can preorder the book–which is due to be released by Wild Rose Press on October 28–HERE.

Want to see more? Visit my Zoraida Grey Page.

Sign up to win a fabulous smokey quartz necklace. Winner to be announced right here November 21.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And another giveaway sponsored by the Haunted Halloween Blog Hop.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now–Away with you to the next stop on the hop where Author Tricia Schneider is talking VAMPIRES. Or visit any of these fantastic writers who are participating.