Glamis Castle
Glamis Castle
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
About
Found in the very heart of Angus in Scotland, Glamis Castle has been the ancestral seat to the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne since 1372. Once the inspiration for William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Glamis is renowned for its rich history and famous visitors, from Mary, Queen of Scots to James V. Glamis Castle was the childhood home of HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Her younger daughter, HRH Princess Margaret, was born here and was also frequent visitor during her childhood. Throughout our open season expert guides will help visitors on their self-guided tour. Visit our gardens and grounds flourish in the Summer months, visit our Gift Shop for some inspirational gift ideas and be served scrumptious delights from the Victorian Kitchen Restaurant.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience Glamis Castle and nearby attractions

See what travelers are saying
  • Filomena C
    Falkirk, United Kingdom2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A lovely afternoon
    We spent a wonderful afternoon at the castle, starting with a lovely guided tour, expertly narrated by our guide Ann. The castle has a very interesting history and the fact that it is still being used today adds to the charm in a way. The guided tour was followed up by an afternoon tea in the castle's restaurant where, warmed by the huge fire stove, we ate some really well made desserts and drank some warm tea, which was needed as the castle is freezing (probably due to all the ghosts residing there 😅) We finished our tour with a nice walk around the castle grounds and a visit at the shop near the car park. All in all it was definitely worth the drive and the price of the ticket and I'd highly recommend visiting it, especially during the spring and summer where you'd probably find the gardens in full bloom
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 19, 2023
  • Neil F
    Fife, United Kingdom4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fabulous day out, wonderful staff and excellent afternoon tea
    I got tickets for myself, teenage daughter, my mum, sister-in-law and friend. I accidentally purchased the garden and grounds only ticket thinking I'd purchased for the castle visit too, when we realised, it was easily upgraded and resolved the issue. All the staff we met from the pleasant gentleman at the entry gate, lovely friendly staff at the Victorian kitchen restaurant and shop and the very helpful and knowledgeable castle tour guides provided excellent service throughout our visit. We had a fabulous day and the afternoon tea which I pre-booked was excellent. It truly was fantastic in every way. Very good value for money and we will definitely be visiting again to see the garden in summer bloom.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written March 20, 2023
  • Jerry M
    Kissimmee, Florida29 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must See Castle
    Beautiful Castle with a rich history. We were the first tour of their 2023 season and I'm so happy we were able to attend. The castle is amazingly gorgeous and well worth a visit. You cannot take pictures inside the castle so I suggest getting a book so you can have memories of the lovely things you encountered on the tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and made the tour pleasurable.
    Visited March 2023
    Written March 21, 2023
  • Moule
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well Worth a Visit
    We spent a lovely few hours wondering around the amazing gardens , and Castle. The staff were really friendly from the helpful man at the Entry Gate to our informative and funny Tour Guide in the Castle, had a lovely tea and cake in the Cafe served by friendly staff. Well worth a visit.
    Visited March 2023
    Written March 23, 2023
  • Emmaline
    Edinburgh, United Kingdom5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful castle worth a visit
    Really well-presented and beautiful rooms showcased on the tour. Our guide Gail was fantastic, funny, and I could have listened to her all day. The castle itself is very impressive and gorgeous to look at, and even though it was a bit of a grey day it was a pleasure to walk around the grounds. And thank you to Jim or greeted us so warmly when we arrived and instantly made us feel welcome and excited to explore. This is well worth a visit and the tickets are very fairly priced.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 25, 2023
  • Sarah H
    North Lanarkshire, United Kingdom19 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the visit
    First visit to Glamis castle. We also took our dog with us and walked round the grounds. Was a lovely touch to be given some biscuits for her. Grounds were still lovely even though spring has not sprung yet we just prefer quieter times. Unfortunately crow scarers or possibly shooting range which scared our dog so didn't walk as much round the grounds as we would have liked. Tour of the castle really good and very informative. Enjoyed hearing some of the history of Glamis and it's people. The rooms were amazing. Had coffee and cake in the cafe. Spent some money in the gift shop. Well worth the visit a really enjoyable day out.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 25, 2023
  • CLE
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating History Brought to Life by Knowledgeable Guide
    I've always wanted to go to Glamis, and our visit did not disappoint. Our guide, Simon, was both very knowledgeable and entertaining. The castle itself is very interesting as it has such a long history. Although we visited on a wet winter's day we also enjoyed a quick ramble around the grounds. I would imagine the gardens would be lovely in the summer.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 29, 2023
  • jackkic
    Irvine, United Kingdom80 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Step back in History
    The drive up to the castle was amazing. Jim, you couldn't have been more friendly, welcoming and informative. Gail took us on the tour around the castle and held out attention with the takes of the castle and the ancestors of the late Queen Mother. We had lunch at the restaurant and a visit to the gift shop before taking the walk around the castle and grounds followed by coffee and cake! The staff were all amazing and a credit to Glamis.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 31, 2023
  • Victoria A
    Bridge of Allan, United Kingdom26 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very good but some small disappointments
    We visited Glamis Castle last year and visited again Easter 2023 with my parents. You can no longer go round the castle on your own, you have to go with a guided tour. Whilst I think it’s good as you get to find out a lot of information it does restrict you, and I much prefer having the choice. You can get a lot of the information and more from the short film in the dress exhibition, albeit it did drag on and we decided to just get to the guided tour. You can also no longer take photos which isn’t explained why, last year you could take photos. Guide was very good and very knowledgeable. Shame a couple brought their crying 2 year old with them which isn’t the castles fault. We finished in the restaurant as we wanted lunch. My parents ordered venison Bridies but when we went to order we were told they had ran out. My husband also wanted haggis, beeps and tatties but was told there was a missing ingredients. He can’t remember which one of the main ingredients was missing as he was so annoyed! No apology other than a sour face from the member of staff, Margaret. Nice food but overpriced. Very well run and excellent gift shop. Also have to mention the lovely, friendly man on the gate as you come in. He was there last year and let us park our motorcycles next to his wee hut.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 10, 2023
  • Margaret T
    St. Andrews, United Kingdom30 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A window into a family home with a great history
    For fans of the Queen, Royal family and Scottish history, Glamis is an enjoyable day out! I am a student and the £12.50 admission fee to the house and gardens is a bit steep, but a tour with a entertaining guide Simon is included. The tour is about 55 mins and takes you through 10 rooms - dining room, drawing room, sitting room, chapel, servants’ quarters, a few bedrooms… I wish we could have lingered a bit longer to look at the paintings, furnishings etc, which are all lovely, but they really do move you right along at a brisk pace. Pictures are not allowed. At the end of the tour, we enjoyed the moderately priced tea and cakes and didn’t try the food but it wasn’t as overpriced as you would expect from a place like this. The signage outside the house could be a bit better, it’s very easy to get lost and wander beyond where the map tells you. Still, even though this happened to us, it was a lovely day and the scenery is beautiful. My favorite part of the visit was getting to see the family’s own history at the end of the tour; there are childhood clothes and toys of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret as well as letters written to their grandparents.
    Visited April 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written April 11, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,976 reviews
Excellent
1,332
Very good
457
Average
109
Poor
42
Terrible
36

HappyBeachMum
St. Andrews, UK32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Family
Super place to visit. We enjoyed lovely walks around the gardens and had a picnic at one of the benches which all had their own hand sanitiser provided. The castle was not open but the toilets were and used a one way system to enter and exit the building. Very clean and throughout the place it was well stocked with hand sanitiser.
Staff were very friendly and always cleaning!
Takeaway coffee house was excellent.

This place has set the bar very high indeed - excellent!! Well done!!
Written July 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sally T
Halkirk, UK344 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Couples
From the outside it is a beautiful fairy tale large castle. £15.50 per adult later & we are in & nearly as fast we are out. No guided tour, hardly any info up in the rooms you have to use your smart phones for a guide with QR codes. You go in approximately 10 rooms which yes are interesting but barely a 10th of the building. With no plan of the hoyse or even the room you are visiting you don't know where you are & you are out before you know it.

Even the gardens were disappointing, very weedy & not alot of plants.
No surprise the gift shop was nice but quite expensive. A set of cake tins I liked were £42 but in amazon £32!!

Staff were all very pleasant, glad I've been there but won't be going back.
Written May 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

P S
Inverness, UK49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
In summertime this year we visited the castle whilst caravanning at a nearby campsite and it was well worth it , kept beautiful with lots to see . A lovely day out for the family .

Whilst there we won a raffle in the little i shop in Glamis in the village for afternoon tea for two . This week we travelled from Inverness and spent the night in Perth before heading for our afternoon tea . The staff were rushed of there feet due to a couple of coach tours had landed which didn't bother us , our table was reserved and the staff and the manageress were brilliant . The whole experience was perfect and the food from the sandwiches to the the scones with jam and cream were oh so yummy and let's not forget the cakes on the middle plate and the coffee served in a coffee pot was just so .

To the lady waitress that served us and also the manageress we would like to say a very big thankyou for the experience of having afternoon tea at a fabulous Glamis Castle .

Thank you all so very much

Paul
Written October 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ali M
Forres, Scotland, United Kingdom51 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Couples
Absolutely stunning castle with an amazing drive up to the car park. The castle is really interesting and has options of downloading an audio,buying a guide book or taking a leaflet to get to know the place. The walks are lovely through the woods with lots of wood carvings and this takes you to the lovely walled garden. There is a great shop with lots of gifts to purchase at reasonable prices. The Castle has a lovely restaurant and we had a delicious scone and coffee in the outdoor seating area. Definitely worth a visit.
Written July 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Companion575636
Montrose, UK11 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Friends
Christmas market weekend. Paid £5 each for entry, took almost 1/2 hr to get the car parked and then just 10 mins to walk round the few stalls (about 20) of which there were 4 pet treat stands, 2 selling sweets and several with bought in products. Waited over half an hour in cafe queue. All in all a little disappointing.
Written November 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Richard P
Nethy Bridge, UK13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
Another castle on the list of must do. We started in the gardens, first the walled garden. This is still under restoration, but there's a lovely mix of mature and new, with some information describing work that is planned. A very peaceful place to wander. We then went via the pinetum with it's magificent mature trees, and the 7 Macbeth related sculptures which fitted the woodland perfectly. Then into the Italian Garden, again, beautifully done, some great views of the castle from the garden, and again a peaceful area to just sit and observe. We had lunch in the restaurant. Excellent food and coffee, excellent service, and touches such as fresh water available without having to ask. Plenty of seating both inside and out. Then onto the castle. We didn't have to wait long for a tour. This was very informative, nice and relaxed. A good amount of time to look in each room, though given the sheer quantity of things to look at, it would be impossible to see everything. A nice blend of fact and humour, distant history and more recent royalty related information. Given it is still a private residence then it's been done very well, trying to allow access without being overly intrusive.
All in all an excellent day and would thoroughly recommend. Many thanks to the staff.
Written July 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much, the must be one of the nicest, comprehensive reviews of the Castle experience. Sounds like you had a wonderful day here at Glamis Castle. We hope to welcome you back in the future. Best wishes from the team at Glamis Castle.
Written July 31, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

chrissiekite33
Darlington, UK127 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
We went on a guided tour of the house led by the very knowledgeable Nicky who brought the history of the castle to life, injected with a little humour where necessary.
We were both delighted to see family rooms with amazing paintings, photographs and memorabilia. As we live in the North East near Bowes Museum it was interesting to hear about the Castles original owners and the Bowes-Lyon connection.
The grounds are also a delight especially with the good weather we had throughout the walk. The Italian garden was an interesting mix of traditional and modern planting especially the use of Verbena as a bedding plant creating waves of blue across the beds.
The Macbeth sculpture walk was a pleasant stroll through The Pinetum featuring haunting sculptures of characters from "Macbeth".
Facilities cater for all needs, coffee shop, the kitchen restaurant proving especially popular being full when we tried to get in.
Excellent gift shop.
Lovely welcome at the gates with friendly and polite staff throughout our visit.
Certainly excellent value for money.
Thank you for a lovely day out on our first visit.
Written August 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lorna R
Norwich, UK10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Family
As keen castle and stately home visitors, we thoroughly enjoyed this one. Politely greeted at the entrance, we found the artefacts and rooms well organised and presented with plenty of information, both around the rooms and on the excellent commentary via the qr codes. You don’t very often have the opportunity to get quite so close to everything, so that was rather special. All topped off with an excellent lunch in the Victorian kitchen. The dishes were all top notch apart from the risotto which was deemed bland. Good tea as well. All served by the efficient and friendly Margaret. Thank you .
Written June 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Companion659820
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
The guide, Christine, was excellent, enthusiastic with an in-depth knowledge which she imparted with clarity and at just the right level of projection for everyone to hear. There was just enough time given in each part of the castle to view the exhibits. Thank you.
My husband was unable to take the stairs and the staff were so kind and considerate.
Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind comments, and your excellent tour with Christine. So sorry that your husband could not manage the stairs, I hope he still managed to enjoy his day with us at Glamis. Best wishes from the team at Glamis Castle
Written August 22, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

elaineb01
Charente, France85 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Family
We thoroughly enjoyed this event as a mixed family party of young children, teens and adults. There had obviously been a huge amount of effort in decorating the areas visited in the Halloween theme and the exterior lighting of the Castle is very impressive as you arrive up the long driveway. The staff and actors were extremely professional and we particularly appreciated their ability to discern those in our group who were not up for too many frights!
We ate in the Castle Kitchen restaurant after the tour and all meals were excellent and nicely themed for Halloween. In all a hugely enjoyable experience and we look forward to returning for other events. It is a most beautiful castle with a fascinating history. Many thanks to all who were involved in its delivery.
Written October 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 31-40 of 1,554
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Glamis Castle - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)