I think this is the closest to a “Cinderella” castle as we could find in Britain. There was a rather foppish statue of Charles I gracing part of the front acreage, and of course we had to pose for posterity as well.
The dates for this place are all over the map depending upon which “authority” you reference, but the consensus seems to be that the oldest part dates from the 1500’s (our guide, Pauline – terrific! -- maintained there was a wall from 1374), with substantial additions and restoration having been done in the 1800’s. It also claims title to being the most haunted castle in Scotland. One tale is that the Devil joined the Laird for cards, and when the latter insisted upon playing on into the forbidden realm of Sunday morning, he was encased in a secret room within the stone walls to play cards there for all eternity. No sightings on our tour; they must come out mainly at night. Again, sadly, no photos permitted inside. My jaw dropped when we entered the dining room. It was stunning. Think of Hearst Castle with taste. I cribbed this from the internet, but it only does scant justice. You have to see the entirety in one take.
True oddities were two portraits of Patrick, 3rd Earl back in the 1600’s. At first glance they look for all the world as if they are full frontal nudity, with this old man’s head with double chin on Ahhnold’s body. Caution: X-rated material follows!
The thinking is that it was some sort of flesh-colored body armor. Okayyyy.
The place was full of family photos showing the Queen Mum as a child and teen with her parents and brother. The idea of growing up in these surroundings boggled the mind. The family chapel was a 17th century addition. The room has 94 panels all painted by one man, Jacob de Wet, in nine months. He was paid 90 pounds, a not-insubstantial sum for the times. One panel has Christ wearing a hat, one of only 6 such portrayals in the world. It is supposed to symbolize the moment after the Resurrection when Mary Magdalen believed, in error, that He was the gardener. For the occult-minded, the spirit of Lady Douglas is said to walk through the chapel walls. She was burned as a witch by a King who hated the Douglas family. As our guide related, the chapel is still used today for “hatch, match, and dispatch.” I’ll let that sink in for a while before revealing that it’s used for baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Never heard that phrase before. In the library was a gigantic billiard table (even bigger than the one I noted earlier) dating from 1865 and in superb state. 2,500 volumes fill the place, the oldest dating from 1545, and the room is draped in 17th century Flemish tapestries. That was topped by a bed Queen Mary stayed in which was hung with bed tapestries made by one woman over a period of 14 years, ending in 1683. They’ve never been restored and look great. One interesting note was the china service, of which 360 pieces out of 385 remain intact after 250 years. In King George’s study is this 1662 bed, which was still in use as late as 1972. We learned that many of these old beds are so short because people of that era would sleep sitting up, believing that if you slept flat, the Devil would think you were dead and take you!
Duncan’s room in Glamis was cited by Shakespeare in Macbeth as being the site of King Duncan’s death. The Bard was taking a bit of literary license, as the castle wasn’t built until 400 years after the alleged events and, in any event, Duncan died during a battle near Elgin. One of the fascinating things about Glamis is that it truly is a living home, with fairly “cozy” rooms designed for more ordinary living.
In the Queen Mum’s lounge was an old phone that was a direct line to Buckingham Palace.
As you can tell, we were quite taken by Glamis Castle, and highly recommend it. After Glamis, we were back to ruins. First up was Huntingtower Castle, essentially a couple of towers connected by a later building 3 meters wide.
There was no furniture, but it was interesting to see how they lived in a “towerhouse” turret castle on multiple floors. Loni is standing in the 3 meter-wide connecting building and is looking up at some original painting in the ceilings that dates from the 1400’s!
There’s a story about the daughter of the first earl being confined to her room in one tower and her visiting beau in the other for an overnight stay. This is prior to the connecting building. She supposedly leapt from one tower to the other, had her dalliance, then jumped back before her mother could discover her. The gap is called “The Maiden’s Leap.” Hmmm. Standing broad jump of 10 feet three stories up in the middle of the night? Ain’t buying it, but that’s what they’re selling.Next up was Elcho Castle, the summer home of the Wemyss family, and deemed the height of comfort and sophistication. It’s adjacent to the River Tey about four miles southeast of Perth. It’s a remarkably complete 16th century three-tower fortified mansion.
Elcho is of particular interest as showing the transition from castle to mansion building in Scotland. The castle manages to combine an imposing exterior with an interior that provided the noble occupants and their guests with considerable comfort and privacy. Apart from a new roof and new window glazing in the 1830s, the castle has changed little since it was built – a large tower house with smaller towers projecting from it, some round and others square. To its south was a courtyard enclosed by an outer wall. Gardens and grounds surrounded the complex.
This was a great place for clambering around the interior as it has never been exposed to the elements that made ruins of other places. Loni’s standing inside the kitchen hearth. At lower right is one of the stone privies. Nearly every bedroom had its own “ensuite!” I have no idea where all those shafts ended up. And don’t want to know.
Interior staircases and the Great Hall.
Original beams?
The private residence cottage right in front of the castle. I’d take it any day!
We ended the day (almost) by driving to our lodgings in a suburb of Edinburgh called Rosyth. A nice B&B with straightforward rooms and a genial host, who was ripping up his back yard in the midst of new plantings and masonry work.
We asked about dinner, and he recommended the “best steak house in Scotland.” Well, you either lick your chops or cast a wary eye, but we opted to give it a try. It was located in the middle of nowhere (we drove right past it the first try). The main restaurant wasn’t open that evening, but there was a more rustic pub annex which looked just fine. Basically the same menu, minus a few frills. Excellent atmosphere with stonefireplace, low ceiling, etc. The annex was called the Champany Inn Chop House. Remember that name. And avoid it like the plague. Why, you say? Well, take a look at this:
There you have it, sports fans, $40 worth of charred crap, allegedly cooked medium-rare. This sucker was about a half inch thick and so tough it was like sawing wood. Criminal! We have found beef in Scotland to be on the very lean side, probably because it almost all is grass-fed, no corn to marble it up. Even so, this was a disgrace. Easily the worst meal of our trip. Hell, possibly the worst meal ever, anywhere!
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