Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle is located in the village of Glamis in Angus, Scotland. Glamis Castle has a long history, having started out as a hunting lodge in 1034. It has been the ancestral seat to the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne since 1372. In 1376, a castle was built for King Robert II’s daughter and given to her husband, Sir John Lyon, Thane of Glamis. (John Lyon was Chamberlain of Scotland and is known as the progenitor of Clan Lyon.) The current castle was constructed in an L-plan design in the early 15th century with soaring towers and turrets with battlements. Some of the walls are 16 feet thick. When John Lyon the 6th’s wife, was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake in Edinburgh, King James V seized Glamis Castle and lived there for a time. In 1543, the castle was returned to John Lyon the 7th. In 1606, Patrick Lyon, the 9th Earl of Glamis was made the Earl of Kinghome and he began major work on the castle. The castle was used as a military garrison and restored after the soldiers’ disuse by Patrick Lyon, the 3rd Earl of Strathmore and Kinghome around 1606. Restorations also took place in 1689 that included a Baroque garden. In 1773, a billiard room, new kitchens, and new service courtyards were added. The Southwest wing was rebuilt after a fire in the early 19thcentury. The castle has remained the ancestral home of the Earls of Strathmore for over 600 years and has a long history filled with legend. The castle was the family home of the late Queen Mother, and Queen Elizabeth spent many childhood summers there. The castle boasts a small chapel, a great hall, a drawing room, a massive stone spiral staircase that travels from the basement to the battlements, and a secret room. The exterior has an Italian garden, a walled garden, the Dean River Walk, a pet cemetery, orchards, a grass maze, Macbeth wooden sculptures, and Monet-style fountains. Glamis Castle is open to the public. Guests can dine at the Glamis Castle Kitchen, shop at the pavilion, or rent the self-catering property, which is a six-bedroom home with a therapy pool and sporting facilities on the estate. (Glamis Castle is currently closed)