monster of glamis castle

The Monster of Glamis

One of the most famous legends associated with Glamis Castle is that of the ‘Monster of Glamis’; a child born to the family and so hideously disfigured he was isolated in secret chambers within the castle walls, which were sealed upon his death. Legend has its beginnings in 1821 when the first son of the eleventh Earl is said to have been born horribly malformed. To hide this anomaly, news of the child’s death was fabricated to ensure that no-one sought after him. Only those with the hereditary right to be informed are told of the secret upon reaching their 21st birthday. It has been said that some young heirs have laughed and joked in the past about revealing the family secret as soon as they turn 21. For each one who has said it, legend tells nobody has ever divulged the contents of their “coming of age” legacy. Could the Monster of Glamis be real, after all..?

The apparent failure to cover the window of this chamber lends itself to the story of the “empty window” which is associated with the secret room. The story goes, that, upon hearing of the legend of the Monster of Glamis, guests hung towels from every available window in the castle in a bid to find the location of the secret room. Once every window had been covered, they stepped outside to look at the castle…and found one window was still “empty”. A subsequent search of the castle to find the elusive window failed, hinting at the fact that the room may indeed exist. The ‘Mad Earls Walk’ on the castle ramparts is said to have been the place where the malformed Earl was exercised away from the prying eyes of anyone who should not see him.

The legend of the secret chamber of the Monster of Glamis is believed to have been inspired by the infamous “Room of Skulls” – a room where the Ogilvie family sought shelter from the Lindsays and were walled up and left to die of starvation. It was apparently found, quite accidentally, by a builder, who was given money and was sent abroad in an attempt to buy his silence over what he encountered. Another spin on it is that, to each generation of the family, a vampire child (or a child of monstrously superior abilities) is born and must be walled up in the secret chamber. Whilst most of these stories are based in legend, the story of the Ogilvies is, disturbingly, based in fact.

– DD Tours operates walking tours in Dundee city, covering dark local history such as wars, battles, murders, diseases, riots, disasters and executions. Walk with us for an unforgettable storytelling experience.

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