see history matched with fabulous architecture...
and some ghost stories included...-)
The historical roots of Glamis by no means should suggest that the Castle has not remained fashionable; additions, alterations and reconstructions have all taken place in order to satisfy the aspirations of the Strathmore family.
A Castle fit for a Queen - By the time Mary Queen of Scots
and her entourage visited Glamis in 1562, the East Wing was dominated by the
main Tower, which had been added in about 1435. The Castle was enclosed within
a fortified court.
The 17th century witnessed many changes. The West Wing was
added, as well as a small north-east wing containing the chapel. The courtyard
buildings and much of the fortifications were swept away and replaced by a
baroque setting of courts, sculptures and vistas.
In the mid-18th century the grounds in front of the Castle
were landscaped with radiating avenues of trees. New kitchens, a Billiard Room
and new service courtyards beyond the East Wing were all added in 1773. Two
years later, the West Wing was demolished and remodelling of the grounds into
open parklands in the style of Capability Brown began. This was achieved by
pulling down the garden walls in front of the Castle and moving the De'il Gates
to the boundary where they stand today.
The pitched roof of the East Wing was replaced with
castellations in 1797 and the reconstruction of the West Wing in a matching
style was effected in about 1800. The main avenue was replanted in about 1820.
In 1893, the 13th Earl laid out the Dutch Garden in front of
the Castle. This return to a formal style was continued with the creation by
The Queen Mother's parents of the Italian Garden in 1910. This was the last
major alteration and completes the modern day appearance of the Castle.
Glamis Castle is known as one of the most haunted castles in
Britain. It certainly has more stories and legends attached to it than any
other castle within the British Isles, perhaps with the exception of Hermitage
Castle in the Scottish Borders. The following provides a brief selection of
stories and lore from the castle. The stories differ from source to source, and
it is likely the tales became better with each telling, most have their roots
in the 19th century
Glamis Castle is the
historic seat of the Bowes-Lyons Family, the lands were presented to them as a
gift by Robert the Bruce in 1372. The Bowes-Lyons family still own the castle
as the earls of Strathmore, its members include the Queen Mother, who was born
at Glamis and gave birth to Princess Margaret here. The main keep of the castle
dates from the 14th century, and the majestic towers and turrets were added in
later years.
Ghosts of the Castle
The family chapel is haunted by a Grey Lady, who is said to
be the spirit of Lady Janet Douglas, burned at the stake as a witch on Castle
Hill, Edinburgh in 1537, on charges of plotting to poison the King. It is
likely that the charges were fabricated for political motives. The apparition
has been seen relatively recently in the chapel by a number of witnesses. She
is also said to appear above the Clock Tower.
The ghost of a woman with no tongue is said to haunt the
grounds, and to look out from a barred window somewhere within the castle. She
runs about the park pointing at her mutilated face. There is no suggestion as
to who she might be.
A young black boy, the ghost of a Negro servant who was
badly treated around 200 years ago, haunts a stone seat by the door of the
Queen's bedroom.
One of the more infamous ghosts is known as Earl Beardie,
who is otherwise known as Alexander, Earl Crawford. Allegedly he was a cruel
and wicked man, probably stemming from his rebellion against James II. His
spirit is said to wander the castle, and there have been reports of children
waking to find the figure leaning over their beds. He is also said to be
gambling for all eternity in a secret room with the Devil, people have reported
loud swearing and the rattling of dice. He is often mixed up in literature with
the second Earl of Glamis.
Legends and Folklore
According to legend the castle is as haunted as it is
because of an ancient curse brought on the family by Sir John Lyon, who removed
an ancestral chalice from their seat at Forteviot, where it was supposed to
reside for ever. The castle is also mentioned in Shakespeare's play MacBeth,
and the murder of King Malcolm the II is supposed to have taken place in one of
the rooms. It is highly unlikely as the castle dates from the 14th century and
the murder from the 11th century.
Probably the most resounding piece of folklore that crops
up, is the story of a secret room somewhere within the castle, that harbours a
dreadful secret. At one time a towel is said to have been hung from every
window in the castle, but from the outside a window without a towel was
visible, suggesting a hidden room.
The secret room has many tales as to its origin; the most
popular is that it holds a monster. In 1821 the first son of the eleventh Earl
is said to have been born horribly malformed. To hide this fact the story was
circulated that the boy had died, and the infant was locked up in a secret room
within the castle. The malformed boy survived, and in time a second son was
born, who was told of his older brother when he came of age. In some stories the
boy grows to become incredibly strong, and lives for over a hundred years. The
secret of the hidden room had to be passed down to each heir on their 21st
birthday. The 'Mad Earls Walk' on the castle ramparts is said by some to have
been the place where the malformed Earl was exercised.
There is suggestion that a workman accidentally broke
through a wall while making alterations to the castle, revealing a passage into
the secret room. He was given a large sum of money to leave the country and
keep his silence. In other tales the room holds the bodies of men who were
enemies of the family, walled up and starved to death.
As we have mentioned above one of the most notorious
characters in the castles history was Earl Beardie, a Lord Crawford, who was a
cruel and indulgent man. One of the tales most commonly told about him is the
loss of his soul to the Devil while playing cards.
One Sunday, Earl Beardie was guesting at the castle. After a
heavy drinking session with the Earl of Glamis, he was returning to his room in
a drunken rage shouting for a partner to play him at cards. Nobody wanted to
play on the Sabbath, and finally he raged that he would play with the Devil
himself. Inevitably there was a knock at the door, and a tall man in dark
clothes came into the castle and asked if Earl Beardie still required a
partner. The Earl agreed, and they went away to a room in the castle, slammed
the door shut, and started to play cards.
The castle was rocked with the swearing and shouting from
the room, and one of the servants, giving in to curiosity peeped through the
keyhole. A bright beam of light blasted (in some versions) through, and blinded
the servant in one eye. The Earl burst from the room and rounded on the servant
for spying on him. When he returned to the room the stranger, who was the
Devil, had disappeared along with the Earls Soul, lost in the card game. The
Earl is said to play cards with the stranger in a walled up room, another slant
on the secret room legend.
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