Glamis Castle and Ruthven Barracks: Day 16 – Scotland 2017
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21 April 2017
After two weeks of blissful days, we finally hit a minor roadblock. I woke up with a migraine, which I didn’t know that I had at the time. I told everyone that I just got nasty headaches every once in a while and that the light really hurt my eyes, and sometimes it would make me throw up all day. So, you know, just a really bad headache. *Eye roll* Unfortunately, this was the kind of headache that came with vomiting. Fortunately, it didn’t last too long and didn’t spoil our day.
Billy packed up camp while I closed my eyes in the car, and then we headed to our first stop of the day. After arriving, I promptly threw up in the parking lot and then told my body to knock it off, I had awesome travel stuff to do and didn’t have time for shenanigans. Thankfully, it listened.
The Hermitage Walk
The Hermitage is a place of beauty. The trees reach towards the heavens and the pathways wind through the forest, leading to some breathtaking sights. The location was originally a pleasure ground, designed to please the Dukes of Atholl in the 1700s. Thankfully, it’s open to everyone these days. It is free to enter, but there is a fee of £3.00 to park in the car park. Dogs are also welcome to walk with you on these easy, serene pathways.
Upon entering the actual walk through the forest, the path leads under an old railway bridge and into a land of majesty. The path leads a peaceful stroll next to the gentle river, and soon enough, a sound begins to roar in the distance. We crossed a stone bridge and made our way into Ossian’s Hall, which gives way to spectacular views of the Black Linn Falls. Perhaps it was because we got to the Hermitage very early, but we were alone at Ossian’s Hall for our entire visit.
After admiring the falls for a good 15 minutes, we continued on our way. Unfortunately, a recent storm had knocked down some trees and the bridge across the water to the trail on the other side was closed. We finished out the trail back to the car park and explored Ossian’s Cave on the way, another folly built for the pleasure park. Nearby was a tree stump with hundreds of thousands of coins sticking out of it. Later, we’d find out that like throwing a coin into a well, these were wishes made by those before us.
Dunkeld Cathedral
Dunkeld Cathedral is only 6 minutes away from the Hermitage. As it stands, part of the cathedral is still used as a church, while the rest is but a ruin. You can visit every part of the cathedral, even the part that is currently operating but remember to be respectful of the community’s place of worship.
The cathedral and grounds open at 10 AM throughout the year. Depending on the time of your visit, areas may be closed due to events such as weddings. We were there on a Friday morning and all was quiet but I think there was some sort of restoration work going on. There was scaffolding up in the ruins area, so we didn’t go inside, just walked around the perimeter. Partway through our visit, it started to rain lightly. We quickly finished our walk outside before going in to see the active area of the cathedral. It is a beautiful sanctuary with a high, barrel-vaulted wooden ceiling and tall, arched windows. It’s simple but absolutely stunning.
It’s a beautiful church and it sits right on the banks of the River Tay. We couldn’t resist going down to sit by the water, even with the rain. Looking back at the cathedral makes for a great view. The oldest part of Dunkeld Cathedral dates from 1318. It suffered great damage during the Reformation in 1560, but the ruins make for a mystical setting. After getting wet in the rain, we stopped at a local tea shop for lunch before leaving town.
Glamis Castle
Next on our agenda? The famed Glamis Castle, famous for inspiring Shakespeare’s Macbeth. We’ll start with a bit of quick history before diving in. To set up the spook factor, we’ll begin with the murder of King Malcolm II. The castle as we know it today wasn’t built yet, but King Malcolm was assassinated at the Glamis Castle that stood there in 1039. After his death, Macbeth, Malcolm’s grandson, rose to the throne and became King of Scotland. He reigned from 1040 to 1057. Kings came and went throughout the years, the castle changed hands more than once, more murders were written into history, and in the year 1400, construction started on the Glamis Castle we are familiar with in present day.
In 1537, Lady Glamis fell victim to the witchhunt hysteria gripping the country. She was tried, convicted, and executed in Edinburgh. Fast forward through the years. The castle changed hands a few more times, Mary Queen of Scots came for a visit, Cromwell’s troops occupied the castle, there were some renovations, more people were killed, parts of the building came down, new parts went up, and now we are in the year 1900. A baby girl is born. Her name is Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon. She will grow up to raise her own family at Glamis Castle. Her eldest daughter was born in 1926. That daughter is now England’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
The castle opened to the public in 1950.
Our Visit
The first view of the castle is enough to make your jaw drop. I think the only word we could speak was ‘wow,’ and we must have said it a thousand times. Glamis Castle is a beauty to look at, and the entrance road gives you the perfect view. Upon our arrival at the front door, we were met with three intricately carved witches huddled around their bubbling cauldron. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is alive and well here at the castle that inspired the story. More wooden carvings were added to the grounds in the coming weeks as an art installation. You can now see all of them on the Macbeth Trail, located on the grounds.
We bought the guided tour, which I’m not positive is an option anymore. The website says that all tours are self-guided but says that the history and stories of the castle are brought to life by their expert tour guides, so I’m not really sure on that front. We were on a group tour with 10 or so other guests, if I recall correctly. Our tour guide was phenomenal. She shared so many stories about the castle and its past occupants.
Earl Beardie
My favorite story she shared was about Earl Beardie and his game of cards with the Devil. Wanting to play cards and gamble, Earl Beardie demanded his servants play with him (in some versions, a friend is over, playing cards with him). The servants refuse because it is nearly midnight and almost the Sabbath, making the card game a sin once the clock struck midnight. They beg him to stop playing. Angered, Earl Beardie says he’ll play till doomsday and would play with the Devil himself if he appeared. At these words, the Devil makes an appearance, and Earl Beardie loses not only all of his money but also his soul. Sometime in the following years, it was said that the room was bricked up and sealed forever.
Our tour guide pointed out where they thought the room was located. There is indeed a window that can be seen from the outside of the castle that cannot be accessed by any open room inside. I asked her if she had any spooky experiences, and she said that she was stationed in that area for a Halloween tour that happened after dark. She said that she didn’t believe in ghosts before that night, but after sitting in that area alone throughout the night waiting for guests, she’ll never be alone there again. The noises she heard coming from the sealed room were enough to convince her!
The rest of the tour was great. We got to see so many family mementos from Queen Elizabeth’s time in the home, and many other interesting paintings and objects were brought to our attention. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed inside the castle. Fortunately, Glamis Castle left a mark on our memories!
The Gardens
We didn’t have the time to explore all of the gardens, but the small area we explored just outside the castle was lovely. There are two gardens, the Italian Garden and the Walled Garden, and two trails, the Macbeth Trail and the Nature Trail. We visited the Italian Garden before our tour began. It is a lovely garden, but like most that we saw during our Scotland adventures, nothing was blooming yet. One of these days, we’ll have to come a little later in the season!
Reekie Linn Waterfall
Our second waterfall of the day, one of many on this trip, wasn’t too far from Glamis Castle. A short 20-minute car ride later, we parked in the car park area for Reekie Linn Waterfall. There is no fee to park here. The walk towards to waterfall is beautiful. It’s an easy stroll overlooking the rushing waters of the River Isla below. The path starts close to the water but then rises above it by the time you reach the lookout point. The walk is not long and the reward is grand. If you’re in the area, definitely stop by! We were lucky to have been graced with perfect weather during our visit. It had risen to a perfect 16°C (60°F), the sun was out, and the waterfall was spectacular.
Ruthven Barracks
Ruthven Barracks was nearly 2 hours away from Reekie Linn waterfall, so we strolled through the sunshine and back to the car for a blissful afternoon ride. The sunny disposition of the day wasn’t to last, however. By the time we reached Ruthven Barracks, the temperature had dropped to 7°C (44°F). The chill in the air made this location all the more spectacular.
In direct response to the first Jacobite uprising, Ruthven Barracks was built by King George II in the early 1700s. It was a stronghold against the Jacobites in the heart of Scotland, and with its place of prominence in the landscape, it could be seen for miles. Ruthven Barracks was attacked twice during its service. The Jacobites failed to take the structure during the first attempt in 1745. Only 12 soldiers inside the garrison held off a group of 300 men. However, the Jacobites were successful in their second attempt the following year, bringing more people and heavier guns. The Jacobites rallied at Ruthven Barracks after the slaughter of Culloden while awaiting further instruction from Bonnie Prince Charlie. If only these walls could talk.
Ruthven Today
Aside from one other vehicle in the parking lot, we were alone at Ruthven Barracks. There is no fee to park and no cost to enter. We simply got out of the car and walked into history. The barracks sit in ruin now, stark walls with empty windows that look out over incredible views. The walls of the buildings stretch three stories high, one on each side of a parade ground in the middle. There are signs marking areas inside, like the well and the latrines. Outside the barracks are the stables. The stables were fenced off during our visit due to conservation work. While it’s a bummer not to see it fully, it is so heartwarming to know that work is being done to preserve the history of the place.
We explored the ruins at our leisure, lucky again to have the place to ourselves. It was incredible to stand there, looking out over Scotland, and imagine an approaching Jacobite army. As we left, the clouds parted and the barracks were bathed in sunlight, lighting up like a farewell to us after our visit.
Settling In For A Cold Night
With the temperature still dropping, we set up our tent at Invernahavon Caravan and Holiday Park. It’s a short 15-minute drive from Ruthven Barracks and the owners were incredibly nice. They even gave us suggestions for dinner, which was much appreciated. After camp was set up, we headed into town, grabbed a bite to eat, and then came back to settle in for a cold night. We woke up to sleet in the night but otherwise slept soundly.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy
