Guided Tour of Glamis Castle

Child: Do you know how to get into it?

Guide: No. Nobody knows how to get into it. It's all blocked up now. There's a reason for why it's all blocked up, because a long time ago Lord Glamis would have played his game of cards in that room and, uh, it was a long, long time ago. It was in the days *** A servant came and told them that it would soon be midnight and *** their game. Well. he was very cross with his servant and he swore at him and he and his men swore that they would continue their game and keep it up until Doomsday. So they went on playing and the clock struck twelve. It was midnight and these two men kept playing and the door flew open and **** The devil. It was the devil. And he said "Well, your Doomsday has come." And he shut them in *** You can hear them. And in fact some people say that they're in there with the devil himself and they have a drunken game in there, a lot of laughter and a lot of, uh, well, they swear as well and they shout and *** their glasses I think it must be the devil who supplies them with a lot of wine while they're having their game. Now I've never heard them and of course some people say, they just - you can only hear them on the anniversary of the day *** You might hear them if you put your ear against the wall.

Child: Did they never get out?

Guide: No, no, no...

Child: How long ***

Guide: Well I should think it was probably when this building was first put up in the 15th century - a long, long, long time ago. Anyway, you'll have to remember to look for these ghosts *** But what do you think this room was? well, it's rather large, isn't it?

Child: ***

Guide: No. It was the lower hall ....

a short while later

Nina: Bit spooky isn't it?

Guide I get lots of people when they're climbing these 42 steps, and they think it's their heart pumping, it's just like a heartbeat.

Child: Supposed to be someone walking up the stairs.

Karen: No, it's supposed to be someone ****

Guide: You could actually hear it down in the crypt but you were making too much noise for that. But it's the clock ....

"I do not find it true, as it is reported, that to the second sight, nothing is reported but phantoms of evil. Good seems to have the same proportions in those visionary scenes, as it obtains in real life. "

Johnson from 'A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland' and 'The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides' by Samuel Johnson and James Boswell

Guide: ... Again we're in the 17th century here and it was the 3rd Earl, that man in his funny armor, who built the Chapel, and is artist in all this work in here. And well, there's a little ghost in here ...

Child: Whooooo!

Guide: Got you all turning round. And she's a little grey lady, and she's rather nice apparently. I've never seen her, but she's supposed to bring you good luck if you see her. So, I think she comes in here because it's nice and snug. I suppose ghosts are rather, um, chilly. I was going to say chilly mortals, but that's not right is it? Chilly spirits. But, um, as I say, she's supposed to be rather nice but there's not a very happy story about this little ghost. Do you want to hear it? It's rather a sad tale actually. She was Lady Janet Glamis. Now she married - she was a Douglas by birth, she'd married a **** gentleman and James the 5th hated her family, hated Douglas's and when her husband died somebody made up a story of witchcraft against her. And the King had her imprisoned and eventually burnt at the stake as a witch. So very sad, a tragic lady of this family. But as I say, she makes a very pleasant little ghost. She was rather nice apparently, very beautiful, very kind and everybody knew when she died that it was because the King hated her family.

voice: Super!

Guide: But there we are. No I have never seen her or any of the ghosts in Glamis. But then I don't think I go looking for them.

Guide: He's little page boy who sits on that stone seat there. He's rather naughty apparently. If you're not looking, he puts his leg out and you trip down that step. Well, I've never seen him but you'd be surprised, the number of people who miss the step. So I think perhaps he's around most of the time.