Glamis Castle

Glamis Castle is a long-occupied estate and castellated house in Angus, Scotland, serving as the historic seat of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne. The building combines medieval foundations with later Gothic and domestic additions and is one of Scotland’s better-known stately homes.

The castle contains a sequence of furnished state rooms and family apartments, extensive gardens, and parkland that visitors can explore on guided tours. The grounds and interiors contain portraits, furnishings and displays that reflect the successive phases of rebuilding and redecoration over several centuries.

The site dates back to medieval times with significant rebuilding and enlargement carried out in subsequent centuries, producing the present mix of defensive and domestic architecture. Over time the castle has functioned as a noble residence, family seat and visitor attraction, with conservation and public-tour programmes in place.

Glamis sits beside the village of Glamis in Angus, eastern Scotland, within a rural agricultural and parkland landscape. It is accessed from regional roads serving the county and is commonly visited from nearby towns in Angus and from Dundee to the east.

• Family association: Associated with the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne and traditionally linked to the British royal family through marriage.
• Historic associations: Often cited as the childhood home of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother; the castle also features literary and theatrical associations with Shakespeare's Macbeth.

What to See #

• State rooms: A sequence of state rooms and family apartments open on guided tours that illustrate the castle's domestic history and aristocratic collections.
• Gardens and grounds: Formal gardens and parkland surrounding the castle, including walled gardens and designed landscapes historically associated with the estate.