Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis (pronounced /ˈɡlɑːmz/) in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and is open to the public. Glamis Castle was the childhood home of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, best known as the Queen Mother. Her second daughter, Princess Margaret, was born there. Since 1987 an illustration of the castle has featured on the reverse side of ten pound notes issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland.[1]
The plasterwork ceilings of Glamis are noteworthy for their detail and preservation. Along with those of Muchalls Castle and Craigievar Castle, they are considered the finest in Scotland.
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Glamis is set in the broad and fertile lowland valley of Strathmore, near Forfar, county town of Angus, which lies between the Sidlaw Hills to the south and the Grampian Mountains to the north, approximately 20 kilometres inland from the North Sea.
The estate surrounding the castle covers more than 14,000 acres (57 km²) and, in addition to the garden containing lush gardens and walking trails, produces several cash crops including lumber and beef. The two streams run through the estate, one of them the Glamis Burn. An arboretum overlooking Glamis Burn features trees from all over the world, many of them rare and several hundred years old. Birds and other small wildlife are common throughout the grounds.
There is a tea room in the castle, and part of the gardens and grounds are open to the public. The venue can be hired for functions like dinners and weddings.
The vicinity of Glamis Castle has prehistoric traces; for example, a noted intricately carved Pictish stone known as the Eassie Stone was found in a creek-bed at the nearby village of Eassie.[2] In 1034 AD King Malcolm II was murdered at Glamis.[3] Since 1372 Glamis Castle itself was home to the Lords of Glamis (later the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne).[4] In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth (1603-06), the titular character resides at Glamis Castle, although the historical King Macbeth (d. 1057) had no connection to the castle.
The most famous legend connected with the castle is that of the Monster of Glamis, a hideously deformed child born to the family. In the story, the monster was kept in the castle all his life and his suite of rooms bricked up after his death.[5][6][7][8] Another monster is supposed to have dwelt in Loch Calder near the castle.
An alternative version of the legend is that to every generation of the family a vampire child is born and is walled up in that room.[9]
There is an old story that guests staying at Glamis once hung towels from the windows of every room in a bid to find the bricked-up suite of the monster. When they looked at it from outside, several windows were apparently towel-less.[10]
The legend of the monster may have been inspired by the true story of the Ogilvies.[11][12] [13] Somewhere in the sixteen-foot thick walls is the famous room of skulls, where the Ogilvie family, who sought protection from their enemies the Lindsays, were walled up to die of starvation.
Another legend tells of "Earl Beardie", who has been identified with both Alexander Lyon, 2nd Lord Glamis,[14] and Alexander Lindsay, 4th Earl of Crawford. Several versions exist, but they all involve "Earl Beardie" playing cards. However, it was the sabbath, and either his hosts refused to play, or a servant advised him to stop. Lord Beardie became so furious that he claimed that he would play until doomsday, or with the Devil himself, depending on the version. A stranger then appears at the castle and joins Lord Beardie in a game of cards. The stranger is identified with the Devil, who takes Earl Beardie's soul and, in some versions, condemns the Earl to play cards until doomsday.[14][15]
According to the official website for Glamis Castle, in 1034, King Malcolm II was mortally wounded in a nearby battle and taken to a Royal Hunting Lodge, which sat at the site of the present castle, where he died.
There is a small chapel within the castle with seating for 46 people. The story given to visitors by castle tour guides states that one seat in the chapel is always reserved for the "Grey Lady" (supposedly a ghost which inhabits the castle), thought to be Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis. According to the guides, the chapel is still used regularly for family functions, but regardless, no one is allowed to sit in that seat.[16]
The late Sir David Bowes-Lyon, while taking a late stroll on the lawn after dinner, reportedly saw a girl gripping the bars of a castle window and staring distractedly into the night. He was about to speak to her when she abruptly disappeared, as if someone had torn her away from the window.
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[[File:|thumb|300px|Glamis Castle]] Glamis Castle is one of the most famous castles in the United Kingdom. It is near the village of Glamis, in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Glamis Castle was the childhood home of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, best known as the Queen Mother. Her daughter, Princess Margaret, was born there. A picture of the castle is featured on the Royal Bank of Scotland ten pound note.
Parts of the castle and its gardens are open to the public. There is also a tea room for visitors.
There are many famous stories and legends about Glamis Castle. It is said to have more "dark secrets" than any other home in Scotland.
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Glamis Castle is set in the wide valley of Strathmore, near Forfar, the capital of Angus. It lies between the Sidlaw Hills to the south and the Grampian Mountains to the north, approximately 20 kilometres from the North Sea.
The estate (the castle's land) covers more than 14,000 acres (57 km²). There are gardens and walking trails, as well as a farm which produces beef and a plantation (planted forest) which produces timber. There are two streams run through the estate. Near one stream, called the Glamis Burn is an arboretum (a tree garden) which has trees from all over the world, many of them rare and several hundred years old. Birds and other small wildlife can often be seen in the grounds.
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   | Glamis Castle web site - Glamis Castle , Angus 5 star Visitor Attraction in Scotland |
| | Ghosts and Hauntings in Glamis Castle - Glamis Castle | Mysterious Britain & Ireland |
| | C.Michael Hogan, ''Eassie Stone'', The Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham, Oct. 7, 2007 - The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map: Eassie Stone [Eassie Old Church, Eassie Old Parish Church, Eassi] Class III Pictish Cross Slab |
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