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Castle, still in use, probably on the site of an earlier building thought to date from the 11th century, set within a designed landscape (NO34NE0088). The land was granted by Robert II to John Lyon in 1372, at which time the earlier building would have been the main residence. Construction of the Grant Tower, a large L-plan tower house, began in 1435 by Patrick, who in 1445 became first Lord Glamis. His death in 1459 caused constructed to stop for a time, but it was finished by his widow before her death in 1484. Around the same time the Great Hall was added to the south of the tower. In the mid-16th century, the Grand Hall and the south-east hall block were joined by a short link, creating a Z-plan building. The Great Tower was remodelled and heightened in 1606 (dated). The east wing was added in 1629 and the west wing added in 1670-89. A north-east corner wing with a chapel was added in 1679-83. Three ditches also surrounded the castle, but they were filled up in the 17th century when considerable changes were made. The west wing was demolished in 1775, and rebuilt in 1798-1801. The north-east corner wing was restored in 1866, and a Baronial wing to the east added in 1891. It is shown on the 1st and 2nd edition OS maps as having two quadrangular sections with internal courts, and a wing projecting to the west. It was used as a Red Cross Auxiliary Hospital during World War I. The castle is constructed from red sandstone. The L-plan main block has a central stair tower in the re-entrant angle and an ogee caphouse, pinnacled turrets and a roofwalk with decorative wrought-iron railings and finials. There are two-storey and basement, four-bay battlemented angle wings with outer towers and corbelled turrets. The east wing is a lower three-storey and attic, seven-bay crowstepped wing, with a two-storey service wing. The main south elevation features a studded timber door with an iron knocker dated 1687, and a carved panel with Royal Arms below a circular niche containing the bust of Patrick 1st East of Strathmore. The north elevation of the main block has crowstepped dormer-heads and a corbelled turret to the outer east angle. There is stained glass to the chapel and dining room. The roofs are grey slates, and there are coped ashlar stacks and ashlar-coped skews with crowsteps, moulded skewputts and stone finials. The Masons' Marks Project has recorded 156 marks of 60 different masons.
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