Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle [ ɡlɑːmz ] is a castle near the village of Glamis in Angus , Scotland . It is the home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore , who opened it to the public. Unlike many other Scottish castles, it is not operated by the National Trust for Scotland . Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon , better known as "Queen Mum", grew up here and her daughter Princess Margaret was born here.
Noteworthy are the ceiling paintings of the interiors of Glamis Castle, which are very detailed and well preserved. Along with those of Muchalls Castle and Craigievar House , they are considered to be the finest in Scotland.
The castle can be found in numerous legends and, if local legends are to be believed, it has more dark secrets than any other castle in the UK . It was also mentioned in the literature. In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth , Macbeth is the Thane of Glamis and Cawdor.
location
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Glamis is located between gently rolling hills about 20 kilometers from the North Sea . This region of Scotland is known for its early Pictish culture as well as several events in the Middle Ages . Nearby is the stone of Eassie , one of the best examples of early Pictish stone-working. To the south is Scone Palace , the historic coronation site of the Scottish kings. About 30 kilometers north is Dunnottar Castle .
The grounds of the castle take up an area of 5,700 hectares (14,000 acres ) and include lush gardens and hiking trails as well as agricultural land, including for wood and cattle. Two rivers flow through the property, one of which is known as the Glamis Burn . An arboretum , located on Glamis Burn, harbors many rare tree species from all over the world, many of which are several hundred years old. Birds and other small, wild animals can also be found in the area.
There is a tea room in the castle and parts of the gardens and grounds are open to the public. Glamis Castle can also be used for dinners and weddings.
Legends and fairy tales
The most famous legend about the castle is that of the monster of Glamis , a hideously deformed child born into the Bowes-Lyon family. According to legend, the monster was held captive in the castle all his life and his chamber was walled up after his death.
An ancient story goes that once guests who stayed at Glamis Castle hung towels from the windows of each room to find the monster's walled-in room. When they looked at the lock from the outside, they noticed that there were no towels hanging from several windows.
Perhaps the monster legend was inspired by the true story of the Ogilvie family . Somewhere in the almost five meter thick walls is the bone space. This is where the Ogilvies once sought protection from their enemies, the Lindsays, but were betrayed and walled up alive.
According to the castle's official website, King Malcolm II was fatally wounded in a nearby battle in 1034 and was taken to a royal hunting lodge that stood on the site of today's castle, where Malcolm II also died.
There is a small chapel in the castle that seats 46 people. The guides in the castle tell visitors that a seat in the chapel is always reserved for the "gray lady", a ghost that haunts the castle. According to the guide, the chapel is still used regularly by the Bowes-Lyon family. Even so, nobody is allowed to sit in this seat.
The late Sir David Bowes-Lyon allegedly saw a young woman at one of the castle's windows while taking a late-night stroll on the property's lawn. He reportedly saw the girl grabbing the bars of a window while she gazed absently out into the night. He was about to speak to the girl when she suddenly disappeared, as if someone had torn her away from the window.
Earl Beardie was a guest at Glamis Castle. One night, when he was drunk, he asked to play dice. Since it was the Sabbath , his hosts denied him this request. Lord Beardie was so beside himself that he screamed that he was playing with the devil himself. Thereupon a stranger appeared at the castle and asked if Lord Beardie would like to throw the dice and they started to play in one of the rooms. Later servants heard screams and curses from the room. One of the servants peered through the keyhole and it is reported that a ray of light shining through the keyhole blinded him. The stranger disappeared. Many visitors reported hearing screams and the clatter of dice, and quite a few say that the earl is still today playing the devil for his soul.
Web links
- Web site Glamis Castle (English)
- Ghosts and spirits in Glamis Castle (English)
Coordinates: 56 ° 37 ′ 13.1 ″ N , 3 ° 0 ′ 8.6 ″ W.