Glamis Castle

The view of Glamis Castle driving down the long road that is its "driveway".

Yesterday we set out to tour Glamis Castle. We've been wanting to go for some time but kept putting it off for one reason or another. Then a couple of weeks ago I read that they decorate the castle for Christmas starting on November 14th. So we thought that would be a nice time to go, when it was decorated for Christmas. The weather yesterday was nice, a little over cast but no rain.

The castle is absolutely beautiful. It's the first castle we've been too that you can actually tour a great deal of the inside and the inside is still intact! Unfortunately they do not allow photography inside the castle, so I will just have to tell you about it. I did however take a few pictures outside.

This is actually only part of the castle. The part we toured was in this part.

A statue in the front garden

We had a little time before our tour to kill, so we stopped in their restaurant and had a cappuccino and a treat. They sprinkled the top of the cappuccino with powder in shape of a Christmas tree!

Of course we had no idea that as soon as you start the tour that you are offered warm malted wine in the dining room of the castle. I didn't think I would like it, but surprisingly I did!

So the dining room was all set up for Christmas. Complete with a Christmas tree in the corner and a table set for Christmas dinner. There were small Christmas trees on the table and silver chargers at each seat. They had Christmas poppers on each charger and beautiful silver settings all along the table. It was really pretty.
The castle is still lived in today! The family that lives there are ancestors from the family that has owned it for many years. The family lives in the west wing and tours are only in a very small area of this huge castle.
We toured the dining room, the gathering room, a living area, another lounge area, a couple of bedrooms and even the chapel. The chapel is still used today! Every Sunday they have service there. The furniture in a lot of the rooms is really remarkable. It has beautiful inlaid furniture that is still very remarkable today. The castle is decorated in the Victorian age and so many things in there are just elegant. There is even a room that has the china on the wall of the original china pattern. The tour guide told us back in the day they would design their own china pattern, have the designed sailed to China and then wait about two years for it to be made and sailed back.
She told us stories of a ghost that is believed to live there, the green lady and though she says she has never seen the ghost in her seven years working there, that she's known many people that have.
She also told us of a part of the drawing room that use to be a small room off to the side and one night, long ago some of the gentlemen were playing cards and dice in that room past midnight on a Saturday. Back then it was not allowed to "play cards and dice" on Sunday and it was believed that they had brought the devil into the house. A lot of the people were scared in the house and so eventually they put them in the room, with the devil and walled up the room. She says they are still in there today and they know that there is in fact a room there because there is a window that can be seen from the outside of the castle.

So lots of tales and a bit of scare. But mostly just a really beautiful castle. We had a great time and it was nice to see the paintings, the antique furniture and to see the castle decorated for Christmas. I only wish I could have taken pictures inside to share. So I'll say if you ever find yourself in Scotland, it's worth the visit!

Jeff and I in front of Glamis Castle

http://www.glamis-castle.co.uk/