Taking a stroll through history on the trail of Shakespeare’s mad king
Like many surviving Scottish castles, Glamis – just outside Forfar and 30 minutes from Dundee – has many tales to tell.
For over 650 years (since 1372) it has been the ancestral seat to the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Mary, Queen of Scots was once welcomed there, and 350 years later it was the childhood home of the Queen Mother, and a place where the late Queen Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret visited.
It, too, is rumoured to have inspired William Shakespeare’s famous Macbeth.
While most definitely worth a visit, another outstanding aspect of the estate should not be overlooked – its gardens and grounds.
“During Victorian times is when the garden became an important part of the package,” says Des Cotton, the head gardener. “It was to show off wealth and to produce food. Today, the focus is on visitors. It is about 60 hectares of gardens, so it is a busy job and a major part of the attraction. People don’t always realise that.”
Like many that came before him, Des, who has been in his role for around eight years, lives in the High Gardener’s House just outside the walled garden on the estate.
“It is 120 years of high gardeners living here before me, so I do feel the pressure a wee bit,” Des laughs. “I’ll be part of the garden for a little while and then somebody else will come, but will be part of the history once I leave.”
One newer aspect of the gardens is the Macbeth Trail, a series of wooden sculptures telling the story of the man who, in his quest to become king of Scotland, kills ferociously and slowly descends into madness.
“When I first came, there was this big area of around five acres of old trees and winding paths connecting them that wasn’t being used very well,” Des explains.
“I wanted to create a sculpture trail to get people there. Ultimately, I like to use the history of the past to guide people forward. The Macbeth Trail is a reference to that. My audience are tiny young children to retired people – and everyone in between – and the Macbeth Trail just sits quite right.”