Glamis can be explored through different highlights: Glamis Castle and its long history, the gardens and landscaped grounds, and historical traces in the village. When choosing a hotel in Glamis, it therefore helps to first consider whether you want to focus on castle history, garden and landscape experiences, or the village’s historical traces.

Glamis Castle: history, gardens and landscape

Glamis Castle has been the ancestral home of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne since 1372. This long historical continuity makes the castle a clear focus for guests who want to explore the estate’s history. Glamis Castle offers guided tours. Visitors can explore the gardens in the Kitchen Garden. Fruit and vegetables grown there are used in the Castle Kitchen Restaurant, connecting a visit to the garden with a tangible link to the kitchen.

The landscaped grounds of Glamis Castle now cover 1,080 acres (437 hectares). The gardens also contain a pinetum with trees over 160 years old. In the woodland at Glamis Castle, visitors can follow the Macbeth Sculpture Trail. The pinetum and trail offer different points of focus: one centres on old trees, while the other takes you through the woodland along the Macbeth Sculpture Trail.

Church and village history

St Fergus’s Church in Glamis is still used for worship. A medieval church dedicated to Saint Fergus is first recorded in 1178. The Strathmore Aisle probably dates from the 15th century and is thought to be the transept of the earlier church. A Pictish stone stands in front of the manse on Kirk Wynd, beside St Fergus’s Church at the northern end of Glamis village.

The village’s origins are also part of the area’s history: it was built in the late 18th century by the ninth Earl of Strathmore. The timelines differ significantly: the castle’s association with the ancestral home dates back to 1372, while the village was not built until the late 18th century. The history of the castle and the later founding of the village thus stand side by side as two distinct chapters.

Gin experiences and cycling

The Bothy Beginnings Room at the Bothy Experience tells the story of Gin Bothy. The Bothy Experience offers hosted gin tastings in its Byre and Stable tasting rooms. The Ogilvy Tour near Glamis Castle offers a different focus: aboard a Tattie-Box-Tours trailer, it takes visitors around the farm and then behind the scenes at Ogilvy Distillery, where they are shown the potato and vodka production process.

Cycling is recommended for travelling to and from Glamis Castle, and bicycle racks are available. As operational details can change, check the visitor information before setting off. The experiences described offer several starting points for planning your trip: castle tours, gardens and landscape, village history, or a gin experience.

Discover more destinations: Kirkton Of Glenisla, Menmuir, Brechin, Blairgowrie, Edzell, Tannadice, Carnoustie, Tarfside.

For the wider travel overview: Angus.