Birthday at the Castle

The castle is located in the small village of Glamis, in Angus, about 30 minutes from Perth and 20 minutes from Dundee, where you can find buses that take you to the Castle. Getting there is very easy, as the highway practically takes you almost to the gates of the Castle. The entrance to the manor is nothing short of spectacular; the estate extends for hectares and the main gate, which can also be accessed by car, takes you into immense and well-kept gardens. The long avenue has the ancient and impressive castle in the background. As you get closer you can perceive the grandeur of the palace. You can park your car behind the castle and a friendly man will sell you tickets for the tour, informing you about the times. The visit to the interior of the castle is only done with a guided tour, in English, which lasts about 1 hour. The entrance ticket costs £ 18 per adult. Audio guides in Italian are also available.

But before starting the tour we enjoyed a sandwich and a hot soup at the outdoor café in the garden, where there were comfortable wooden benches and tables available. The day was gorgeous and a beautiful warm sun invited us to eat outside, something very rare in Scotland. This corner of paradise is accessed through the Castle shop, where you can find thousands of knick-knacks for every wallet. After enjoying the soup, it was time to reach the entrance of the Castle. The tour would start from there in 10 minutes. Obviously, a trip to the bathroom was a must.

Well, I have never seen more beautiful guest bathrooms!! Pale green and white wallpaper depicting long-tailed, pale pink birds of paradise. Sage green wooden cabinets with high-quality soap (whiskey and vanilla) and hand cream. I practically did not want to leave there, which is unusual for a public bathroom, where you always want to get out as soon as possible.

Our guide was John, very knowledgeable about the history of the castle and its owners, from when the first stone was laid by Robert the Bruce in 1300, to when a second castle was added in the 17th century, connected by corridors to the old manor; up to the present day, with photos of Queen Elizabeth visiting. The visit begins with the splendid dining room, with an imperishable mahogany table prepared in minute detail for 12 people. Fine china, silver candlesticks, crystal glasses, 8 cutlery for each person adorn the beautiful oval table. The lion coat of arms, symbol of the dynasty that reigned over this manor for several centuries, is present everywhere: above the immense fireplace, on the carpet. Countless paintings of ancestors adorn the very high walls; the white plaster ceiling is a masterpiece, full of thistles and roses in relief, symbols of Scotland and England. The large windows flood this beautiful room with natural light, which is still used today for dinners and various events, including small weddings.

Attached to this room is the medieval crypt; in ancient times it was the kitchen, built entirely of vaults. It is a particular place, very dark, linked to a legend that makes it quite sinister. (For details on the legend, of which the devil plays a major role, I suggest you go directly to the Internet).

A flight of stairs leads down to the “living room”, the lounge where the family gathered after dinner, before going to bed. This room is also full of portraits of the rulers who have succeeded one another at the castle, with pieces of furniture from all over the world. Attached to this room is a staircase that leads to the chapel, still consecrated and used by the current family of owners, the Earls Strathmore-Kinghorne, who live there permanently. The chapel is furnished with benches and chairs, but the most important thing that you notice is a rather unusual painting, from the 17th century by a Dutch artist, which represents the Resurrection of Christ who, unexpectedly, wears a hat and is dressed as a gardener. The Castle is proud of this painting, as there are only 6 paintings in the world with a Christ wearing a hat. Of course there is a ghost here too, otherwise what Scottish castle would be without one. Many claim that there is a reserved seat in the chapel, where the ghost of Lady Janet Douglas, widow of Lord Glamis, who was burned at the stake in Edinburgh by James V, because she was considered a witch, sometimes appears. Obviously, the reasons were purely economic, since James V had his eye on the castle and therefore thought it best to kill the legitimate owner, without penalty or guilt. Now it seems that the ghost occasionally appears at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh and at Glamis Castle, depending on what Lady Janet likes. Another very beautiful room is the billiard room, still used today by the count and his friends. It was once the palace library, nowadays re-adapted to a different use, less linked to culture. Attached to the billiard room is the ceramics room. Essentially,a complete collection of hundreds of pieces made in China in 1760 and miraculously survived to the present day. Plates, saucers, cups all with the lion coat of arms of the Bowes-Lyon family, more than 400 pieces in total. Mary Stuart also slept in this room, during her visit to the Castle. From this room you enter the most beautiful part of the Castle, in my humble opinion. These are the royal rooms where Lady Elizabeth Bowes, mother of Queen Elizabeth II, spent many holidays, both when she was still a child, and then as an adult. The living room is very beautiful, with the original photos of the couple during their honeymoon, which have never been moved since then. The honey-colored living room has large windows and a beautiful fireplace, which on cold Scottish evenings was certainly always lit.

In front of the fireplace there are 2 small straw chairs where Elizabeth and her sister Margaret loved to sit when they were children and came to spend the holidays with their maternal grandparents. Next to this living room is the Queen Mother's bedroom. Princess Margaret was born here, the first monarch to be born in Scotland in centuries. The small cradle and a beautiful wooden rocking horse are still present in this room. There is a very cute photo of Queen Elizabeth's grandmother, Countess Cecilia Strathmore, with little Elizabeth astride the rocking horse, as a symbol that all children in the world, whether destined to be Kings/Queens or not, have the same fun. Next to the Queen Mother's bedroom is the King's bedroom. The 17th century four-poster bed still has many original parts. What is striking is the very small size of the bed itself. It seems that in the past people used to sleep sitting up, as it was bad luck to sleep completely stretched out. Well, maybe this is a lie.

The last room is the so-called Duncan room, a name given to the old armory to commemorate the assassination of King Duncan by Macbeth. In this small, narrow room there is a small, huddled bear, named Jack. This bear was given to the family when he was still a small cub; unfortunately, the beloved bear, domesticated, died at 3 years old, gored by one of the shaggy cows that live in the garden. An inglorious end, but unfortunately nothing could be done to save the beloved animal. To exit we stopped in a room full of memorabilia, historical clothes, old and more recent photos of royals and famous people who have passed through the castle. A curious thing are the originals of the wedding invitations of Lady Diana and Prince Charles in 1981 and, more recently, of Prince William and Kate, sent to the current family of owners and jealously guarded under glass cases.

The gardens surrounding the Castle are wonderful; they are full of paths to walk far and wide, where you can see centuries-old trees and an abundance of wildlife.