After spending a day and a half in
Stirling, we headed north to the historic village of Glamis to visit
Glamis Castle, the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth II’s mother and the birthplace of Princess Margaret. Existing as a castle since 1372 when King Robert II granted the “Thanage of Glamis” to Sir John Lyon, the current Scottish Baronial structures date to early 15th century. The castle has many turrets, a Great Tower, and an L-shaped layout including an inner courtyard. Because we spent the morning and early afternoon in Stirling, we did not have enough time to tour the inside of Glamis Castle, getting only as far as the lobby where we saw a miniature scale model. Instead, we chose to purchase a pass for exploring the extensive grounds and gardens of the estate that covers over 14,000 acres. Along the main road approaching the castle are the bronze sculptures of King James VI in a stole while holding an orb and
King Charles I in armor with a sword in his hand. The
Great Sundial sits on the front lawn featuring four lion sculptures each carrying sundials in their claws, supporting a tiered base supporting a mathematical shape with 80-84 sundial faces, and topped by the Earl’s coronet. The sundial was commissioned by Patrick, the 3rd Earl of Strathmore around 1675.
Glamis Castle was the inspiration for
Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, serving as the fictional home of “Macbeth, Thane of Glamis”. While there is a real 11th century King named Macbeth, there is no connection to him. Taking advantage of the references by the famous “Scottish play”, there is a
Macbeth Loop Trail that features seven intricately
carved wood sculptures of depicting key characters and scenes from Macbeth. Created in 2017 by the art collective Neith Art & Sculpture, the works include renderings depicting the three witches at their cauldron hailing Macbeth with their prophesies, and a prone, dying Banquo whose ghost later haunts Macbeth. Looking closely at the witches, the details of their wrinkly faces and stringy hair are quite impressive.
Other sculptures include a kneeling Macbeth contemplating his misdeeds, Lady Macbeth sleepwalking while holding a candle, a regal King Duncan who is murdered at the castle, Macduff advancing through Birnam Woods towards Dunsinane Hill while camouflaged with boughs of trees, and Macduff beheading Macbeth. The works were made of timber from trees on the estate.
The
Italian Garden was designed in 1910 by architect Arthur Castings for Countess Cecelia, maternal grandmother to Queen Elizabeth II. It is designed as a formal Edwardian Italianate-styled garden enclosed by tall yew hedges. It has decorative features such as a Renaissance-inspired parterre with a fan or shell-shaped symmetrical pattern and a stone fountain in the middle while surrounded by low boxwood hedges. Stone sculptures featuring allegorical or mythological figures can be found along the sides of the garden. A cherubic figure atop a pedestal with lion-headed waterspouts sits at the centre of an algae-tinged circular pool made from green stone that enhances the unnaturally vibrant green colours of the water. Conical-shaped topiary yew trees sit just below the castle which looms above.
A mass planting of a tall variety of verbena forms a blanket of purple, attracting butterflies, bees and other pollinators. Two rows of European beech trees, planted with densely intertwined branches, form a canopied alleyway through the garden. In the spring and summer other flowers including daffodils, rhododendrons and dahlias can be found, creating a "kaleidoscope of colour". A raised terrace with two gazebos and benches provides a peaceful place to admire the natural beauty.
While we would see many kitchen gardens during our driving trip through Scotland, the
Kitchen Garden at Glamis Castle was by far the largest and most impressive, with plentiful vegetables growing or ready for harvest. This 4-acre horticultural area was originally built in 1866 to supply fresh produce for the castle kitchen before falling out of use in 1944. A major, ongoing restoration project began in 2011, reviving a 200-foot rose walkway, fruit and vegetable plots, pond gardens, a Monet-inspired bridge, a maze, and a games area. Today, there are plantings of asparagus, rhubarb, carrots, cabbage, celery, leeks, beans, squash, aubergine, raspberries, strawberries, and plums. A variety of apples are grown on
“espaliered” walls where trees are trained to grow flat against a wall to maximize sunlight, space and fruit production. The branches are pruned and tied to wires or frames to create the flattened look. The produce is used in the Castle Kitchen Restaurant.
Tucked away in a wooded corner of the property is the Glamis Castle
Pet Cemetery, a small hidden burial ground for family pets. Touching tributes on headstones were dedicated to pets and companions including “Happy, our Guinea Pig (1933-37)”, Gemma (1933-1945), Fizz Whizzie (1961-1975), Johnny (1972-1977), Puffin (1967-1982), Charlie (1977-1989) and Hercules (1992-2006) who presumably were dogs. The oldest tomb was dedicated to Dulcibella (died 1896), a horse from the elite calvary regiment “2nd Life Guards”, who was probably stationed or stabled at Glamis Castle.
Also on the property is the “
Pinetum”, an 8-acre woodland forest filled with exotic trees planted circa 1870 by Claude Bowes-Lyon, the 13th Earl of Glamis. Found in the woods are towering Douglas firs, Sequoias or Redwoods, Western Hemlocks and ancient yews. We even saw a “
monkey puzzle tree” like the one we first spotted in Edinburgh in
St.Cuthbert’s Kirkyard. As we were walking through a path, we were delighted to spot a large-horned
Highland Cow (“Heeland Coo”) off in the distance. A stone
memorial to Princess Margaret (1930-2002) was commissioned by the 18th Earl of Glamis in 2006 to commemorate her birthplace. The area crosses the Glamis Burn (river) via the Earl Michael Bridge, originally built as an ornamental footbridge in 1890. The bridge was reconstructed and reopened by the Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 1996, connecting the Pinetum to the Kitchen Garden.
Leaving Glamis, we headed for
Arbroath which is a historic coastal town known for its fishing heritage, picturesque harbour, sandy beaches, and dramatic cliffs. Fishing boats and leisure crafts can be found docked in the marinas. Along a fence by the harbour, we spotted colourful, knitted figures including a cowboy, scarecrow, and other whimsical stuffed dolls created by the “
Woolly Workers” collective as public art displays to promote community spirit and tourism.
For our one night in Arbroath, we chose the
Old Brewhouse, a historic 17th century inn and restaurant overlooking the Arbroath harbour. The décor of the hallway and our room had many nautical references including a display case containing examples of different nautical knots, rooms with names such as “Signal Tower”, and colourful metal sailboats on the wall. Just outside of the inn, we can see the waves from the North Sea flowing into Arbroath Harbour and crashing against the break wall.
A giant, decorative picture frame draws your attention to one of the prettiest scenes in the harbour and a major attraction of the town.
Signal Tower is a historic shore station built in 1813 to support the
Bell Rock Lighthouse which sits 11 miles offshore. It housed the lighthouse keepers and their families as well as shore staff who managed supplies and sent signals to the lighthouse using flags and a copper signal ball. The shore station was decommissioned in1955 due to advancements in technology. By 1974, it was turned into a
museum focusing on
maritime and Arbroath history including details about the Bell Rock Lighthouse, fishing heritage, smokies industry, and more. At the end of East Pier is a
Watch House that acted as a lookout point where signals were monitored. It has no function today but acts as a scenic and historic landmark harking back to the past.
As we walked around the harbour, we saw many references to the “
Arbroath smokie”, which is a whole, hot-smoked haddock that is golden-copper in colour with a creamy flesh. The haddock is salted for 2 hours, washed then dried for 5 hours, tied in pairs on rods, then hot-smoked over beech or oak in ground pits while sealed with wet jute (natural fibre) sacks for 45-60 minutes. A “Protected Geographical Indication” status means that the Arbroath smokie must be processed within a 5-mile radius of the town. Currently about 15 family-owned smokehouses produce them, selling fresh or hot smokies from harbour stalls or supplying them to supermarkets, restaurants, and selling vacuum-sealed smokies online.
We had dinner at the
Old Boathouse Restaurant, which resides in
Fishmarket Quay where the Harbour Visitor’s Centre can also be found. The restaurant is known for its stunning seascapes and maritime-themed décor. From our window seat, we had a wonderful view of the harbour. The restaurant specializes in fresh locally caught seafood, which we planned to focus our meal upon.
For appetizers, we shared an intensely flavoured lobster bisque and of course, an order of the Arbroath smokie which was served on the bone with hot butter. For our main courses, I had the medallions of monkfish wrapped with Parma ham, served with olive tapenade, duchesse potatoes and, roasted figs. Rich chose the Declaration Bake which was a fish pie with flaked Arbroath Smokie and prawns, topped with potatoes and oven baked.
One of the highlights in Arbroath are the ruins of a once significant medieval abbey, located in the centre of the town.
Arbroath Abbey was founded in 1178 by King William the Lion for the Tironensian Benedictine monks and dedicated to his deceased childhood friend Saint Thomas Becket. King William himself was buried before the high altar in 1214. The abbey is famous for being the location where the
1320 Declaration of Scottish Independence was drafted. Today, you can still see much of the red sandstone foundations including the south transept with its large circular window, parts of the choir and nave, as well as the west front with twin towers. We did not arrive in Arbroath in time to tour the abbey but were able to see it from across the street.
The next morning, we went hiking on the
Arbroath Cliff Walk, a scenic coastal trail running along the Seaton Cliffs on one side and the North Sea on the other. The route spans between the towns of
Arbroath and Auchmithie and features dramatic red sandstone cliffs, sea caves, rock formations and arches, blow holes, lagoons and a long beach. We did not have enough time in our schedule to walk the entire trail and back since the round trip was about 7km. We might have tried to fit it in had the
But ‘n’ Ben Restaurant at the end of the trail in Auchmithie been open but it was closed on the day that we planned for the hike. We only went as far as
Carlingheugh Bay (about 5.5km) before heading back to continue our journey to the next Scottish town.
The main path along the clifftop is paved and relatively flat with benches along the way to rest and admire the view. It is quite the different story if you want to veer off the trail and head down towards the water. These paths are unpaved, steep and uneven with loose gravel. Although they would have let us get closer to some spectacular natural landforms, we did not have proper hiking shoes or hiking poles to give us enough traction and support to attempt this. We still saw many fabulous sights from the path and admired the intrepid climbers who did make their way down precipitous slopes while navigating sheer drops. The “
Needle’s Eye” is natural rock arch formed in the red sandstone cliffs that is part of a collapsed sea cave whose dramatic erosion patterns are visible at low tide. Nearby, the “
Three Sisters” consist of a set of distinct three sandstone sea stacks lined up in a row.
Dickmont’s Den is a narrow cleft formed by the collapse of the sandstone cliffs, forming Dickmont Den Cave, a 505-foot tunnel with multiple entrances, blow holes and a rocky floor accessible at low tide. The cave is named after a notorious 18th century local smuggler and wrecker who stored his contraband whisky and tobacco there. The
Deil’s Heid (Devil’s Head) is a prominent sea stack shaped by erosion. It is clearly visible from the cliff-top path or by kayak. Further along on the trail as we approached Carlingheugh Bay, we unexpectedly came across a mysterious
art installation consisting of
musical notes attached to a wire fence. Created by an anonymous artist in 2019, the notes depict the melody from “
Lord of the Dance”, a 1967 hymn by Sydney Carter set to the Shaker tune “Simple Gifts”. This whimsical sight was quite the surprise in the middle of the sandstone cliffs and sea views.
Finally, we reached a long, steep flight of wooden steps that would lead us to
Carlingheugh Bay. From the top of the stairs, we could see the long, curved stretch of beach made of sand and pebble that stretches from the Three Sisters to the South towards dramatic cliffs and caves to the north. When we descended the staircase, we came to “
Castle Gate”, another tunnel-like arch formed by erosion. This time, we could get close enough to the passageway to see the different layers of sedimentary rock formed over millions of years and watch the waves of the North Sea lapping in. This is the point that we decided to turn around and retrace our steps, rather than continuing on across the long beach.
In addition to the stunning rock formations offset by the magnificent sea views, we also came across various types of wildflowers and wildlife including butterflies and insects along the cliff path and colonies of seabirds down by the water. At one point we spotted what looked like a mini war memorial with a small metal sculpture, a stamp depicting a soldier and poppies, and painted rocks. This hike was the highlight of our driving trip and we were so lucky to have a bright, sunny day for this trek. It would have been a much different and more dangerous experience had it been raining. It was quite windy up on the cliffs and I regretted not bringing sunglasses, not for the sun but more to protect my eyes from the wind.
