“it was totally black, as if it just swallowed the light from my torch…”

Shadow People - the very name conjures up eerie images of dark, unsettling figures lurking in the shadows, there one second, gone the next, elusive, even dangerous but who or what are these dark, often featureless entities reported from all over the world? They are characterised by a dark, shadowy appearance, often tall, with a human shape or outline and due to the high speeds at which they move, can be difficult to describe. They are frequently seen out the corner of the eye and are viewed by some as negative energies that radiate a sense of foreboding and feed off people’s fears and anxieties. Others believe they are a more benign presence, although this opinion tends to be in the minority. Curiously, shadow people are sometimes reported wearing what looks like hats and coats - could these be a symbol of authority? They are always dark or black so again, descriptions are limited by the lack of visible features although there are reports of such figures possessing glowing red eyes.

Are these entities the spirit of a person who has died and finds themselves earthbound or are they creatures from another dimension, slipping through now and again, allowing us a brief glimpse before they disappear into their own mysterious world. One theory suggests that shadow people are time travellers who visit us from the past or future. Whatever their origins, these unusual forms have the ability to both terrify and captivate their witnesses leaving as always, far more questions than answers.

In recent months, three unusual sightings in the Dumfries area have come to the attention of our team, two witnessed by the same gentleman just a month or so apart. Each concerns a dark figure being seen on a public pathway…

Craig contacted the team in January to inform us of a strange apparition on the old Heathhall Bridge. Situated at the Heathhall side of the cycle path, the bridge is often used as a shortcut for local folk to access the Tesco garage. It was just after 3:30 am on a clear, frosty December morning when Craig first caught sight of the figure. He was making his way home from a pre-Christmas night out when he spotted the shape up on the old bridge. Just a few weeks later, Craig had a similar experience. Near the end of January, it had been snowing and around 5 am on the Saturday morning, Craig was making his way along the path. In this instance Craig said the figure looked ‘more defined’ as the blackness stood out clearly against the snow. He described the figure as being ‘at least six feet’ in height and felt the shadow was watching him - ‘I had a cold chill go over me’ Craig told us. When asked in what way the shape disappeared, he explained ‘It certainly lingered before gradually disappearing’. Bravely, he went to explore and see if there were any trees or other objects which might have created an illusion - there was nothing to be seen. Craig asked if the weather could affect spirits as on both occasions it was cold with either snow or frost on the ground. Environmental factors can certainly influence people so might they also increase or decrease the likelihood of witnessing ghosts, spirits or other beings? Perhaps you need the right set of environmental circumstances coupled with the right person to enable a sighting to happen. We would be keen to gather your views on this.

After receiving Craig’s intriguing accounts, Mostly Ghostly Team Member, Billy Milligan, shared another story relayed to him by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous; ”I was walking from the Swan hotel back towards the town. I was on the path that runs beside the river. It’s around 9:30-10:00 and it’s dark but I have a torch with me. That said, it’s clear enough that the moon lights the area most of the time. As I am more or less opposite the sewage works I see a dark figure on the path coming towards me. I turn my torch on the shape and it was totally black, as if it just swallowed the light from my torch. Just as quickly as I got my torch on it, it darted down the banking to my left, towards the water. It might have been the shape and size of a person but no person can move that fast and I’m sure that had it been a person, I’d have been able to make it out. It was only about 20 feet away and it was completely silent. I hadn’t been drinking, I don’t drink at all! “

This incident occurred in mid December leaving the witness ‘shaken up’. Billy told us; ”While I think he’d rather forget about it, he told me the experience was too real, too tangible to ignore. He is 100% certain of his encounter and while it only lasted a few seconds, it wasn’t out of the corner of his eye or anything like that. It was right in front of him.”

There are a number of signs which point to possible shadow person intervention including; the height and dark appearance of the first figure, the feeling of being watched and a chilling, uncomfortable sensation. In our second case, the figure is not only dark, but intense black and moves at great speed that seems impossible for an ordinary person. Conversely, Craig’s report describes the image as disappearing ‘gradually’. Mostly Ghostly plan to visit these locations to investigate further and will keep you posted on any findings. We’d also like to appeal to our web visitors for information and if you can help with our research, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

If you have a question to ask, story to share of would like to make a suggestion, please contact the team through our website or by phoning 07791 047835 or 07912 145865. You can also follow us on Twitter.