Uhhh...yeah
Farmers would slaughter their animals for the long winter and only keep a breeding pair for next year. For fresh meat, they would have a dukette - a pigeon coop. Well, I heard that pigeons were related to doves and people eat dove. The droppings were even used for a crude gunpowder.
Glamis Castle (pronounced "Glums") - As is typical of most British castles, photography is not allowed so I'll try something different today and type quick thoughts into my Clie.
The family still lives here, but in a separate wing. There are many rooms upstairs that are no longer used.
Our guide leads us into the banquet room and closes the door. Once the door is closed, it becomes part of the wall. The same is true for the doors of the windows. Around the room is the succession of heraldic shield. In the center of the table is a silver gravy bowl fashioned as a sailing ship on wheels or at least that's what I guess it is. I saw something similar at the Inverary Castle.
We move to the older part of the castle which is darker. The following room is the trophy room which is dimly lit and has several horns on the walls and stuffed animals along with swords and armor. Strangely missing are claymores: the legendary great sword of the Scots.
There used to be another room. As the legend goes, the lordship enjoyed playing cards. As gambling is not allowed on Sundays, a servant had warned his master that it would soon be midnight and as such would be Sunday.The lord basically said that "the devil can take them away" and continued playing. A stranger joined their game a short time later. It was the devil and when he joined them, the room vanished away. They are probably still playing cards today which wouldn't be a hell for a real gambler. Now the room must still exist for the window is still there, but why it was walled up, no one knows. As I stepped into the next room, I see a head and skin of a black bear hanging on the rail to my right.
We take forty-two steps up a spiraling staircase. Antlers are displayed on the walls inside the staircase. I am surprised to see rattan chairs. This used to serve both as a living room during the day and a bedroom at night. It is now a drawing room. A white plaster bull head hangs down. Angels are painted with black wings. In one painting, the lord had a pink suit of body armor that almost makes him appear nude. A demon is engraved on the upper part of his arm armor. There are tall crude sculptures of nude men and women standing above the hearth. I thought it was strange that one lady is holding a boob. More paintings.
Built in 1776 - We're now in the library. Bookcases are against the wall in cabinets. There is a billiard and a brown tapestry made in London. The perspective is all off in one market scene. Pears and artichokes the size of spaghetti squash and watermelon that has a whitish flesh instead of pink or red.
We move into the chapel which is dimly lit due to the wood paneling. On the ceiling, a Dutch painted fifteen pictures of the life of Jesus from the family bible. Cupid heads are on the bodies of black doves. A unique painting has Mary Magdelaine meeting Jesus in a hat. In Holland, all gardeners wore a similar hat. Frankly, it looked like the main character from the anime Vampire D. The Apostles' portraits are on the walls around room. It's a working chapel for the Scottish Episcopal. The Grey Lady Janet Douglas visits from time to time. She is a friendly ghost. She was accused of attempting to poison the King and witchcraft which she did not do. She was a thorn to the King since she wished to save her brother who was imprisoned.
We are now in a room inside the tower house. The wall is covered with dishes. Chinese porcelain. Made for them. Everyday crockery.They had the family seal on them. Each room had a fireplace. The curtains were made in 1683 and were not restored.
In the East wing, stuffed ducks were at the crossing. We're in the Queen Mother's sitting room. Full room tapestry walls. Wooden floors. The Queen Mother visits here often. Brown yellow. Kept the same.
The names of the children are sewn on the inside panel of the bed's canopy.
The King's room is down a few stairs. Just a dressing room not a bedroom. The bed is short and about the width of a double. "$" is under the crown at the head of the bed.
We're now in Duncan Hall which is an armory. Shakespeare's MacBeth is not historically correct. Duncan died in a battle. The castle was never sieged.
In the armory is a stuffed small brown bear family pet. Maybe from France. Small trophy room - horns. No bears for 1000 years
