The vicinity of Glamis has prehistoric traces – within the village there stands an intricately carved Pictish stone known as the Glamis Manse Stone. There are various other Pictish stones nearby the village, such as the Hunter Hill Stone, and the Eassie Stone, which stands in the nearby village of Eassie. The last Alpínidking ofScotland, Malcolm II, died at Glamis in 1034. Some other small fragments of Pictish stones from Glamis are preserved in the Meffan Institute in Forfar. On 20 October 1491 it was declared a burgh of barony by James IV. This gave Glamis the right to hold a weekly market, and an annual fair which was held on 17 November, the feast day of Saint Fergus. This legacy can be seen in the mercat cross which still stands in the village square. The humorous poet Agnes Lyon lived here. Glamis was the location of a flax spinning mill which in 1818 was leased by William Baxter, who later founded the major Dundee textile firm Baxter Brothers & Co Ltd.
Important buildings
Glamis is a well-preserved conservation village. Much of its historic core was built to house estate workers in the late 18th century. Glamis houses the Angus Folk Museum run by the National Trust for Scotland. This is a museum of days past, recreating scenes of rural life such as a minister's parlour; a schoolroom; a laundry; and an agricultural area, along with displays of tools, everyday artifacts, and old crafts. It is housed in an adapted row of single storey stone cottages, originally built in 1793. The parish church of Glamis, dedicated to Saint Fergus, was founded in the early medieval period. The present building is 18th-century with an interior recast in the 1930s, but retains a vaulted 15th-century aisle from the medieval church which preceded it. The aisle is the burial place of the Bowes-Lyon family, owners of Glamis Castle. One of its park gates is situated near the parish church. The castle hosts various events throughout the year, notably the Proms evening when thousands of people traditionally turn out with picnics ranging from the small to the elaborate.
In Shakespeare
In the tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is the Thane of Glamis. He later becomes the Thane of Cawdor and the king of Scotland, in fulfillment of the witches' prophecy. Even though Glamis is only a small village, several cities in Britain have streets named after it. This is due to the popularity of naming streets after Shakespearean characters and locations during the Victorian Era.
