Glamis Castle

Today we went to Glamis Castle, located about an hour north of Dundee via bus.  The ride cost £5.50 per person for an all day Tayside bus pass and took us the scenic route through Forfar, a small town we have yet to explore, before dropping us at Glamis' front door.

Glamis Castle from the formal Italian garden

The £8.75 admission price per person included a guided tour of the castle, where the Queen Mother was raised and where Princess Margaret was born, and access to the vast castle grounds.  The castle is still in use today as a family home for the Earl of Strathmore and as a venue for weddings and other private functions.  

Highland cattle

In addition to a few lovely gardens and a nature trail the castle grounds contain a small to medium sized herd of Highland cattle.  Highland cattle are shorter and longer than the cows we're used to, not to mention hairier.  They are truly adorable.  Desi was so happy when she was able to pet a calf grazing near the fence for a few minutes before having to leave.

In addition to the cattle we saw a rabbit, some large birds (we're not sure whether they were herons, kingfishers, or storks but they were blue/grey, long, and thin), a grey squirrel, and a few elusive red squirrels.

Glamis Castle

After spending four hours visiting Glamis we're really looking forward to our next castle experience which will be Edinburgh Castle in two weeks.  Edinburgh Castle is much larger than Glamis and most likely contains a dungeon which Glamis is lacking.  We have high expectations for the guided tour and history lessons provided there.