The Monster Of Glamis. (PC Version)

Glamis Castle

We are rather good at castles.  Here is the one that belongs to the Bowes Lyons- or the family of the Queen Mother as  they are better known.   It's been there since the 10th Century and the family keep adding bits on.

All these pictures are from the same room in the castle. Something is happening there on Saturday, a huge crime writing event called Crime At The Castle. We Scots like to do what is says on the tin. 

I'll tell you more about the castle later, all the bits and bobs and who killed who and why and who got  the blame. ( Usually the English).

The Glamis ( pronounced Glayms) is famous for one thing.

And the thing that it's most famous for was not mentioned at all during the private tour we had last Sunday.

Not even hinted at!

And the secret lies in this room.

But as I am a crime writer I am not going to tell you that story for a few weeks yet. I am going to tell you the story that we were told  as we were walking round the castle. And it is all about this very room. 

I couldn't bear to keep quiet about this.

The castle is famous for having one more window on the outside than on the inside. 

It does have over 170 rooms and a lot of very small windows.

The story now is that  the duke ( somewhere around 1500 give or take a century or so) was fond of playing cards, Gambling in fact.

It was his pleasure to gamble away  a Saturday night in the company of his friends, in a room to the rear of this suit of armour.

A butler type person would come and get him at 11.59 on a Saturday night as gambling is forbidden on the Sabbath.

On this particular night he was winning a lot of money and as his butler told him the time, the Duke looked down at his winning hand and said 'Turn Back The Clock.' 

So he did, and the duke played on, and on, winning and winning..

Then there was a knock at the door of the castle...

A tall dark stranger strode up the stairs and into the hall, asking to join the  game..

He did, and  they played on, drinking whisky, dealing the cards...

 the tall dark man was the devil of course

 they are still in there, playing cards, winning the money

 the duke and the devil

 they are walled up in a room  at this part of the castle. you can see the different brick where the door was sealed by the devil himself.....

  and we could still hear them you know...

in there...

 That is the PC version. The real, true version is much more poignant.

More next week.

Now, where are my playing cards, and my sledgehammer...

Caro Ramsay 23 02 2018