A castle is only as grand as the secrets hidden within its walls.
Glamis Castle was on our bucket list when we first visited Scotland.
A glimpse into the past
To be completely transparent with you, my visit to the castle dates back to 2008. We made a detour on our way to the Loch Ness. A lot must have changed since then…
The photos are from that time, as are the memories, so consider yourself warned !
Its construction was completed in 1372, and it has been deemed to be « haunted » since at least the early 15th century, following the creation of secret rooms.
The castle can be accessed by car or bicycle, but it is a little more difficult to reach by public transport, and all the guided tours were in English.
It used to be impossible to visit the castle at your leisure (at least at the time), but now there seem to be options to do so !
Once you park, you are greeted by adorable Scottish Highland cows, who happily come over for a cuddle before you enter the castle.
Walled-up secrets and evolving legends
According to recent research, it seems that ghost stories have been added since I last visited, making Glamis Castle the most haunted castle in Scotland.
At the time, only one ghost was supposed to inhabit the premises, that of a woman walled up alive in one of the castle’s hidden rooms.
This was the first room on the guided tour. It has a vaulted ceiling made of light-colored bricks, through which you can guess the thickness of the walls. The room is well hidden and it is impossible to see where it is from the inside.
Only a walled-up window reveals its position from the outside.
Many ghosts are now said to haunt the premises.
We had some information on site that we can no longer find on the internet, namely that a woman walled up alive seems to have been replaced by a mutilated woman with her tongue torn out.
Stories evolved, i guess.
From vampirism to adultery : the grim reality of 15th century women
In 2008, rumor had it that the ghost of a lady of the court haunted the place because she had sucked the blood of a human and had been locked up for “vampirism.”
In reality, I think she must have been caught committing adultery, or her husband was simply fed up with her and locked her up for convenience.
This was common practice, as we see, for example, in the horrors recounted about Countess Bathory in Hungary. It is possible that the two stories are connected and that the lady in question was tortured and then walled up alive.
The 15th century was not a gentle and kind period for women especially.
Our guide gave us a quick summary of the reputation of the place before showing us around the accessible rooms one by one (the castle is still inhabited, so some wings are not open to visitors as they are private residences).
It was interesting, but unfortunately we didn’t feel anything special near the so-called haunted room (which is walled up and therefore not open to visitors). We continued the tour feeling a little disappointed but still attentive.
We aren’t necessarily fervent defenders of the afterlife convictions, but a creepy feeling here or there is always a fun memory.
A shiver on the stone bench : my personal “nope” moment
In the main reception room, our guide talked mainly about coats of arms, Scottish wars, and decoration, so I “escaped” into a hallway to enjoy the view of the gardens, not being particularly fond of coats of arms at the time.
In the tiny hallway at the back of the room, there was a stone bench from which you could admire the landscape, so I decided to sit there while waiting for the rest of the group… and that’s when I felt a huge cold shiver run down my spine.
Looking around at the closed windows and the lack of draft, I got up to look for what could be causing the temperature to drop so quickly. I was covered in cold sweat and felt very uncomfortable.
Finding nothing that could explain this, I quickly rejoined the group, thinking nothing special of this.
The guide then led us to said small corridor, explaining that many years ago, a maid’s little boy had been left there overnight in the middle of winter.
He had been found the next morning, frozen to death, on the bench where I was previously sitting.
I can’t even begin to explain how I felt when I heard this story, knowing that at the time, the only ghost story I had ever heard was the one about the walled-up lady.
I’m not a psychic, and I admit I want to believe in ghosts, but I don’t necessarily look for every excuse in the world to find them anywhere. It’s just a fun little notion that may or may not exist to me.
This feeling of unease on the bench made me jump up and say “nope” out loud, to mentally justify “no way, I’m not staying here alone.”
There are now many accounts of this, which confirms the feeling I had at the time.
To me, Glamis Castle remains a must-see if you want to visit « haunted » places around the world.
If anything, it’s as close as it’s going to get I guess.
Visits are possible, but the days vary depending on the season, so if you want to go, it is advisable to check the opening times on their website in advance.
It costs around £20 to visit the castle and its gardens.
Ready to face your fears ? Visit Glamis castle.