Glamis Castle is the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland and has remained a royal home since 1372 when the Earl of Strathmore came into possession of the castle and title. Glamis is renowned for many reasons including the setting for Shakespeare’s tragic play of Macbeth, the ancestral home of Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth as well as the birthplace of Princess Margaret. However, it is far better known for it’s collection of spirits and entities that roam the castle unchecked.

The castle has an oddity that is unique and as of yet unexplained. There are more windows on the outside of the castle than there are inside. You can count the number of windows seen on the outside and compare it with the number seen on the inside and you will always come up short 2! This feature could be the result of a secret chamber!

The very secret chamber believed to house the Monster of Glamis born in 1700 to an Earl of Strathmore. The Monster of Glamis is believed to be a small child born with a severe defect which left it without a neck, tiny arms and legs, and a large egg shaped, hairy torso. Although the Earl was assured that the monstrosity would not live long given its deformities, it is believed that the child grew strong and lived an unnaturally long life until 1921 or 1941.

The Earl could not pass on his immense fortune and castle to a monstrosity so the first born son of the Earl was passed over and others were made the heir in his place. With the 21st birthday of each Earl of Strathmore a private viewing and audience with the monster of Glamis was arranged. These meetings left the new Earl strangely altered for life. The new Earl would become sullen, moody, silent, and strangely withdrawn after his audience with the Monster. Women were never shown the Monster.

The castle is also believed to be the home to an assortment of fearsome spirits and a vampire as well as the monster. Alexander, the 4th Earl also known as Earl Beardie was allegedly gambling with his friends when a quarrel broke out at which time someone cursed God. It is believed that the Devil showed at this time ad doomed them to play until Judgment day. Another version involves the Earl behaving fearsomely because no one was around to gamble with until he cursed God and the Devil decided to try his hand. It is rumored that the Earl lost everything, including his soul. This is more readily believed since the Earl died within 5 years of the supposed encounter.

Janet Douglas, wife to James Douglas the 6th Lord of Glamis is reported to have poisoned her husband and attempted to poison King James. This act resulted in her being condemned to burn at the stake in 1537. When Janet is seen, she is seen floating in the midst of flames. Other ghosts include gray ladies, a madman, a tongueless woman, and a young servant named Jack the Runner, and a badly servant boy. On several occasions a female servant believed to be a vampire has been seen. She was reportedly walled up alive when she was seen feeding off a victim.

The Lords of Glamis and subsequent Earls of Strathmore were notorious men because of their gambling, drinking, and deviant behavior. Is it possible that their behavior resulted in the haunting? It is more than likely that their deviant behavior attributed to the haunting.

It is believed that when a person dies a tragic death or at an early age they are more likely to return and haunt. Also, it is believed that evil deeds and doers do not ever die quietly, but linger on long after death. The servant girl being walled up alive, that was an accepted punishment for almost any deed and definitely a tragic and untimely death. The page was also believed to have been abused during his lifetime and his death is more likely a result of some horrible abuse. A tongueless woman who is seen running across the grass tearing at her mouth obviously did not die well either. All the spirits mentioned here did not lead happy lives with easy peaceful deaths thus leaving it open for them to return to haunt the castle.

The one person who is not seen roaming the halls or grounds is the Monster of Glamis. It is possible that a young child had been born with the mentioned deformities and survived for years afterward having spent his life locked away in a secret chamber to remain hidden. That belief is far more likely since it was widely accepted that children with deformities or mental incapacities were frequently locked away and hidden from public view and family members. Their very existence was rarely acknowledged.

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