The following is in no way meant to be disrespectful to the late Queen Mother.

Glamis Castle is thought to be the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland, and since 1372 has been the seat of the Bowes Lyon family, later Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne. It is also the childhood home of the late Queen Mother, who's maiden name was Elisabeth Bowes Lyon.

There are over ninety rooms in the castle, many permanently empty, but it is the legend of `the secret room', and `the monster of Glamis' that has given the castle it's widespread notoriety over the years.

It is said that at some time towards the start of the 19th century a monster was born to the heir of Glamis. This poor twisted creature, more like a toad than a man, was immensely strong and was imprisoned in a secret chamber within the fifteen-foot thick walls of the castle. The awful secret of his whereabouts and exact identity could only be known to the then Earl, and his next eldest son on his coming of age. The mystery remains to this day, although rumours have circulated that the unfortunate monster, having achieved a great age, died in 1921, but alas, there is no record of his death.

Lord Halifax, in his Ghost Book (1936), tells of large stones with rings in them, in several bedroom cupboards, which were later made into coal stores to deter inquisitive guests. There is also a report of a workman, who unsuspectingly uncovered a hidden passage near the castle chapel, and after lengthy interrogation by his superiors, was encouraged to emigrate with his family. An area on the roof of the castle is still known as the `Mad Earl's Walk', but whether this was used for exercising the monster at night, or referred to another member of the family, is not known.

Another story claims that, due to an ancient family curse, a hideous vampire is born into every generation of this haunted family, which must be continually imprisoned to control it's unquenchable thirst for human blood. Whatever the truth of the legend, the late fifteenth Earl is reputed to have said, "If you could only guess the nature of the secret, you would go down on your knees and thank God that it was not yours."

Lady Glamis, the beautiful widow of the sixth Lord Glamis, was burnt alive as a witch on Castle Hill, Edinburgh in 1537, and her ghost, surrounded by a reddish glow, has been seen hovering above the clock tower. It is said that the supernatural phenomena began at the castle only after her death.

In the oldest part of the building is Duncan's Hall, traditionally the scene of the murder of King Duncan by Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, in the Shakespearean tale. Lady Elphinstone, the Queen Mother's sister, is said to have been frightened by the sinister atmosphere of this room when a young girl. In another room, King Malcolm II of Scotland was said to have been murdered and as his bloodstains were indelible, the floor was boarded over.

Another horrific apparition is the pale face of a terrified young girl, seen staring from a barred window of the castle. She is said to have had her tongue cut out, and her hands amputated at the wrists because of some terrible secret she discovered. There is also the spectre of a small mischievous negro servant boy, who frequently appears to visitors in the Queen Mother's sitting room.

But the most gruesome tale concerns the `Haunted Chamber', said to be somewhere within the crypt. Members of the Ogilvy clan sought shelter at the castle during a feud with their enemies, the Lindsays, and were permitted to hide in this remote dungeon. The then Lord Glamis had the room bricked up and the unfortunate men starved to death. It is said that when the chamber was opened over a century later, their skeletons were found strewn across the floor, some in such a position as to suggest that they had died literally gnawing the flesh from their arms. Terrifying poltergeist noises are said to originate from this part of the castle late at night.

Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott, who stayed the night at this troubled building in 1793, wrote, "I must own, that when I heard door after door shut, after my conductor had retired, I began to consider myself as too far from the living, and somewhat too near the dead."


I don't know about you, but this scaredy-cat's off for a stiff drink.

Cufflink

An impressive but fearful place. I think Sir Walter put it accurately. Even I might have some qualms about staying there, not that I'm likely to get an invite from the bloodsuckers. (Not really!) O'Donnell had some thoroughly frightful tales about this place, although he could be a bit of an old ham.

Hi Sarky

Yes, interbreeding amongst the 'Aristocratics' has gone on for centuries, in all countries. The Royal family over here is a prime example........ have a look at 'The Biggest Secret' by David Icke - lots of info on bloodlines in that!

Hammy x x x

There is also the story about the castle that says that one day a group of people were stayng at the castle as guests of the current owner.

One day the owner went out for a while, and the guests, having heard of the legend of the monster, decided to look for the secret room, they hit upon the plan of going into each room and hanging a piece of cloth out of each window they found, this they did, and when they had finished they met up outside the castle to see the results.

It was determined by the friends that there are many secret rooms in the castle, as there was more then 5 windows with out a peice of cloth, and they were adamant that they had hung cloth from all the rooms they had found.

While they were standing outside looking upo at the castle windows, the earl came home and saw what they were doing, he threw tem out of the castle and swore them to secrecy.

What a spoilsport. If there's any secret rooms or passages around I'd want to know about it. But I suppose it does show the Earls have something to hide.

The writer James Wentworth-Day was working on some of the estate records at one time and decided to spend a few hours ghost hunting. He did the usual room-sealing, thermometer and chalk mark stuff and found some dramatic temperature drops at certain times. He also had a tape recorder running. When the tape was rewound the sections contemporaneous to the temperature drops were marked with the sounds of heavy footsteps and blood-curdling screams. James Wentworth-Day heard nothing out of the ordinary throughout his vigil.

When the Earl found out he was very annoyed and Wentworth-Day received no more invites to Glamis.

talk about stingy, why get so worked up if there is nothing to hide?

I guess unless one of us learns to astral project into those hidden rooms we shall never know.

It's amazing what secrets ancient manors and lodges may hold within, their walls a silent testimony to the joys and horrors that once perturbed their halls. In spanish there is a saying that goes as "cada casa es un mundo" which literally means "each house is a different world". I can't think of any other circumstance where this saying is not more fitting. As far as inbreeding goes, the catholic church still allows first cousin marriages just as long as the pope allows it. Also on a biological point of view just because you have offspring with a sibling does not automatically mean that the child is going to be handicapped, the chances do increase however, and that is why I do not recommend this sort of action to be undertaken by anyone. Goes to show that the current royal bloodlines have more to be ashamed about than proud of...

Sarkypi reminded me that the author Sax Rohmer (Fu Manchu) claimed to have done something along these lines: He experimented with what he called astral exploration and using self-hypnosis spent some time in the compound of Peel Castle on the Isle of Man. This site has been reputedly haunted by a black dog which had a sinister reputation and caused one man to be struck dumb with fright. The particular corridor this occurred in was blocked up. Rohmer attempted to explore this passage but for some reason was unsuccessful. He did claim to have heard a high pitched, dog-like howl though.

On a later astral investigation he found himself in the midst of a pagan ceremony and believed the dog originated in those times. Sax Rohmer also spent a similar night in the Great Pyramid, fully prepared for some kind of occult assault. All he found were thousands of bats. 'The Great Pyramid guards its secrets in mysterious ways,' he said.

Thank you for the insite Hammy. I learn so much from you.

Sarki - you could have a little peep at the link below! It gives brief details of the Royal bloodlines and their obsession with inter-breeding to keep the bloodline 'pure'.

http://www.davidicke.com/icke/index1a.html

Please remember to take some of what Icke says with a huge pinch of salt! And I hope nothing in this site offends or upsets you


Hammy x x x

oh hammy,

thanky, that is an interesting site. I read a little already. good stuff.
I hardly ever find anything this cool when I do my searches.

Really pleased you liked it Sarki

Hammy x x x

You know, some of the Royals like some ugly, ugly women, I mean, Camilla Parker-Bowles? Whoo boy, she's got some kind of ugly. Makes you feel good, in a way, you know... dude's a prince and that's, well, that's about the best he can do.

No but still, you'd think, I mean, he's a freakin' Prince.

Snuffy.......you are SOOOOOOOOOOO naughty!!!!

*pulls on leg-slapping gloves*

I actually found the beginning of this thread really informative and extremly intresting but please why does it have to be spoilt by having to traul my way once again through all this mindless chit chat...Blimey! (for want of a stronger word) you gave yourselves the flirting thread why not use that to unload your nonsence on!

Actually Halo, it was me who started this thread about the hidden secrets of one of the royal family's homes. It got hijacked by a conversation about inbreeding.

If you want to talk about Glamis castle, I'd be happy.

some further Glamis Castle links for Halo ~

http://www.pinn.net/~royaloak/Glamis.htm

http://www.haunted-castles-and-hotels.com/...land/glamis.htm

http://www.ghoststories.org.uk/stories/glamisstory.htm

Thankyou both and sorry if I caused offence.

Thinks Halo's point was sincere, and I tend to agree, as in the other thread.

I've noticed that quite a lot of threads across all the forums go hopelessly off topic. It's sometimes difficult to remember what the original thread was about.

I've also noticed that there's a bit of criticism creeping in, concerning two individuals, even though those two individuals aren't always the ones taking the thread off course. And often it's one of those two individuals who went to the trouble of starting the damn thread in the first place.

I can't speak for everyone, but I have a really short attention span. Topic only lasts so long for the snuffster. And as for this certain couple, umm I'm not criticizing anyone, as I'm guilty for going off topic and starting dumb threads maybe more than anyone, but some things between this certain couple are painfully obvious, to everyone but them, it seems. Of course I could be wrong. In any case, thanks for the links.

Snuffy, a reliable source informs me that the two individuals concerned have a wicked sense of humour, and are amused by the attention their blatant flirting attracts.

Then I will take Cufflink's word for it, and be amused also. Also, I will now drop the subject.

Where to begin..... hmmm

A lot of threads on this forum go off topic, and yes sometimes it gets annoying, however I think in this particular case, the criticism was uncalled for. If we never veered off topic a litte, none of these threads would get past the first page.

I came to this thread because I found the Glamis Castle to be interesting. For the most part, no one was really respondiing to this thread. Lack of response made it easy for me to hijack with my theory of interbreeding at Glamis. No one was responding with other opinions, (and no one still is) And the flirting/teasing that started on this particular thread, was initiated by me.

And lately, I noticed that 2 people in this forum have been the only ones as of late to be starting threads in the first place, so perhaps we should cut them some slack.
Also, I think the complaining should be saved for the people that purposely veer threads off course with jaded opinions, to the point the post has 2 be closed.

welcome

Sarky, you're lovely for saying that. Thank you.

I'd flirt with you, but we could get in trouble.

As for me, I'll flirt with anyone