It is well worth the extra money to pay for the guided tour of the interior of the castle. The grounds are beautiful, but there are limited areas available to explore within the castle unless you take the tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable, and we found it fascinating to see all the different time periods of the castle and how it has been expanded and modernized over the centuries. The food in the cafeteria was pretty good........We had the leek soup with a hunk of fresh baked bread ~ and don't forget the fresh raspberry tart. I don't think I have ever had raspberries that naturally sweet and delicious.

The best thing about this guided tour was that it was for all ages, not just for adults with tag-a-long-children. The kids tried to complete their worksheets and asked appropriate questions! The entire castle was captivating, and beautiful! The Highland Cows added ambiance!

Glamis Castle is a beautiful castle within a few miles of the main A90 dual carriageway north of Dundee in north east Scotland. The Castle is lovely red sandtone (I think?) and looks like the one in Disney's Magic Kingdom. There is plenty to do to occupy everyone for a few hours. The staff were extremely helpful and the tour of the castle was one of the best castle tours I have ever had - the guide was knowledgeable and the ghost stories really fun to hear (but maybe a bit scary if visiting in the dark winter months!!).

The cafe is a bit of a disappointment - the serving area slow and the menu lack imagination or variety but the setting in old kitchens adds to the experience.

Our favourite part is the drive down to the castle - it is spectacular especially on the lovely sunny day we visited. There is also a good gift and speciality food shop.

All in all a must visit if you are in this part of Scotland.

I've spent about a week in Scotland in the Spring of 2009. Over that time I've seen 6 different castles and I must say Glamis is one of the two I liked the most. It is not so big (at least the part that is opened for tourists) but there are a few interesting rooms. The guide we had made the whole visit an adventure thanks to family history as well as all the legends and stories attached to the castle. Remember that is the place where Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Mother of Queen Elizabeth II) was born. It is also where you'll find a room in which one of the scenes of Shakespeare's Mackbeth takes place.
The neighbouring gardens are also quite nice and worth a walk. The number of pheasants we've seen in the arms' lenght distance was incredible. Glamis Castle is worth visiting for sure.
If you are staying in Perth/Pitlochry area for a while, buy a treasury ticket to visit three castles (Blair and Glamis Castle and Scone Palace) and two distilleries (Famous Grouse and Blair Athol).