Glamis Castle
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Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis — pronounced Glahmz (in IPA: [ɡlɑːmz]) — in Angus, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore, who open it to the public. It is not run by the National Trust for Scotland. 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.
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.
The castle features extensively in fiction and legend, and is said[Please name specific person or group] to have more dark secrets than any other castle in Britain.
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[edit] Setting
Glamis is set in rolling hills approximately 20 kilometers from the North Sea. This region of Scotland is noted for its early Pictish culture as well as Middle Ages events. The Eassie Stone, one of the best examples of early Pictish stone carving, is located nearby. To the south is Scone Palace, the ancient site of coronation of Scottish kings. About 30 kilometers north is Dunnotar Castle.
There is a tea room in the castle, and the gardens and grounds are also open to the public. They are also open to functions like dinners and weddings.
[edit] Legends and tales
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. Another monster is said[Please name specific person or group] to have dwelt in Loch Calder near the castle.
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.
The legend of the monster may have been inspired by the true story of the Ogilvies. 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.
King Malcolm II of Scotland was murdered in the castle.
A "Grey Lady" is said[Please name specific person or group] to appear in the chapel.
The late Sir David Bowes-Lyon is said[Please name specific person or group] to have seen a young woman while taking a late stroll on the lawn after dinner. Reportedly, he saw a girl gripping the bars of a window of the castle, staring distractedly out into the night. He was about to speak to her when she disappeared abruptly as if someone had torn her away from the window.
Earl Beardie was a guest in Glamis Castle. One night he was drunk and demanded to play cards. It was the sabbath, and his hosts refused. Lord Beardie was so furious that he claimed that he would play with the Devil himself. A stranger turned up at the castle and enquired if Lord Beardie wanted a partner to play cards with. They began to play in one of the rooms. Later, the servants heard yelling and curses coming from the room. One peeped through the keyhole, and it is said[Please name specific person or group] that a blast of light through that keyhold blinded him. The stranger disappeared.
Many have claimed to hear shouting and the sound of dice rolling. It is claimed that the Earl is still playing cards with the Devil.
[edit] Glamis in fiction
- In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, the eponym resides at Glamis Castle.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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