Monday Ground up: Legendary and Haunted Glamis Castle

Source

Glamis Castle in Forfar, Scotland was the family home of Elizabeth Bowes Lyons, the late Queen Mother, and the birthplace of Princess Margaret. It's set in the "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."



Source

Aside from the obvious charms of this lusciously landscaped abode, it does have a another side to it. Glamis Castle, which was constructed in a Gothic inspired Baronial Style, is the home to some of the most illustrious ghost stories and chilling tales, one of those stories being William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The real Macbeth was actually the Thane of Glamis.

So does the story unfold. King Malcolm II was murdered at Glamis in 1034 and the bloodstain left on the floor has never been removed. Even with extensive cleaning, it still remains, yet it's boarded over to hide the gruesome act that occurred.



Source

The most famous of all the ghost stories at Glamis Castle is the Monster of Glamis. The Monster was a horribly deformed child that was locked away in a secret room, bricked up after his death. However, there was once other sealed room that many don't speak about, and it's there that the lords of Glamis would sit and play a hand of cards.

On one Sunday afternoon, the lords wanted to play a game of cards, however they knew playing cards on Sunday was strictly forbidden. They chose to anyway. When they settled in, a stranger appeared and sat down at the table. The stranger was legend to be the Devil.

In that same room, the Ogilvies had come to seek protection from enemies, however they were left in the room to starve to death. Among some of the more kindred spirits is the "Gray Lady" who haunts the chapel, while the "White Lady" who was a member of the family, was suspected to be burned at the stake in the 16th century for being a witch.

The History of Glamis Castle

The later house at Glamis began as a hunting lodge and a fortification coated with red sandstone. In 1372, Robert II-the first monarch of the House of Stewart, gave the building to Sir John Lyon, who was married to the king's daughter, Joanna.

Their son was named Lord Glamis in 1445, and it was rumored that he had constructed the original castle. The castle was then renovated and enlarged during the 17th century when the family acquired the earldoms of Strathmore and Kinghorne.




Source

Today, Glamis is open to the public, including the castle itself and the grounds and gardens. The Italian Garden was created in 1910 by Cecelia, mother of the late Queen Mother.

More Related Destinations:

Dunstaffnage Castle is one of Scotland’s oldest stone castle, having been originally built in the 13th century five miles north of Oban, Scotland. This castle is in a remote location along the coast and is surrounded by water on three of its sides. Read more about Five Haunted Castles in Scotland By jharmon



In 1689, John Grahame of Claverhouse attempted to re-establish the Stuart monarchy against that of the Dutch King William. The coup wasn’t very successful and resulted in the occupation of Braemar Castle by government troops. But John Farquharson of Inverey, also known as the Black Colonel, managed to escape, returned to the castle, attacked the garrison and burned down the building. Read more about Castles to Visit in Scotland By Patrick Bernauw

Most visitors to St. Andrews Cathedral and Castle take interest in the hauntings believed to be present this historical site. Is it true that this is the most haunted town in Scotland? What were the spooky stories surrounding this town? Read more about The Haunted Town of St. Andrews, Scotland By historigal