Fife and Scotland - the offbeat perspective

Less than 20 miles north of Dundee, a tiny village called Glamis attracts many visitors on account of the royal palace and spacious grounds located nearby. It's where the late Queen Mother was born and where legends of a secret room still remain. Whilst interesting, it's not the main objective of our journey.

No, this time, we're more inclined towards the lands north of Glamis and the town of Kirriemuir, birthplace of an extraordinary author and playright named J M Barrie - visionary creator of fictional legends like the 'Admirable Creighton' and, more famously, 'Peter Pan; the boy who never grew up' and beloved by generations of children across the World.

The central part of Kirriemuir is an old town where the streets are often narrow and incapable of regular two-way passing traffic so it's wise that the roads surrounding the central part are one-way and where a sizeable car park lies in the middle. Narrow lanes and tunnels lead between the car park and the main streets and where, despite close proximity to the City of Dundee, many traditional style shops remain including bakers, drapers and a well-stocked ironmonger.

It's here, nearly a century ago, that a local baker named Walter Burnett, perfected a new and highly delicious cross between sticky toffee pudding and traditional gingerbread recipes. He christened it, Kirriemuir, and on account of the town's close association with popular author and playwright, Sir James Mathew Barrie, who was born in Kirriemuir in 1860. Today, the famous gingerbread still bears this brand name but is actually baked at the Bell Bakeries plant located in Shotts, Northern Lanarkshire, and about sixty miles from Kirriemuir.

J. M Barrie, as he was better known, often referred to Kirriemuir as 'Thrums' and the Thrums Hotel is part of the town centre. A house nearby carries a plaque illustrating where this height challenged literary genius once lived.

One of his best creations was 'The Admirable Chrichton', a bold drama considering the period in which it was written and in which autocratic and wealthy family are shipwrecked on an island. In such dire circumstances, their butler rises to the challenges and finally assumes a leadership role permitting the hapless and spoiled family to learn new skills and survive. Upon rescue, however, the butler reverts to his former subserviant status. Although several feature films and television adaptations of this play were made later, the 1918 version starring Kenneth More remains the best and most memorable.

By far, J. M. Barrie's his most famous fantasy creation is the 'boy who never grew up' named 'Peter Pan' and which quickly became a favourite among children spanning many generations. It is said the name, Wendy, became popular on account of this work in the twentieth century. Several film versions of the story were made with the big-budget, visually elaborate and expanded 1993 version directed by Steven Speilberg attracting leading actors like Robin Williams, Julia Roberts and Bob Hoskins into starring roles.

J M Barrie died in London in 1937, aged 77, and his body was returned to Scotland.

To the north of Kirriemuir town centre, there is a fairly extensive well-tended area of sloping ground facing south. Within this walled area, the grave of J.M. Barrie can be found and looking down on the town he loved so much. At the summit of this hill and where the northern limit of the cemetery is lined by a stone wall, there exists an wide expanse of grassland with a whitewash and black building with a curious 'black funnel' on the roof; protecting lenses and mirrors from the worst of weather. In fact, it's one of the last surviving examples of camera obscura; one of only three in Scotland and of eight in the United Kingdom as a whole and gifted to Kirriemuir by J M Barrie.

By definition, the title 'Camera Obscura' means 'dark chamber' when translated from Latin and it's quite an apt description since entry into the building and observing its primary function means climbing up wooden stairs into a dark chamber with a large disc dominating the limited space. While people form the perimeter around this disc, they can gaze in wonder at the images relayed onto the disc in realtime from light received through mirrors and lenses within the 'black funnel' on the roof.

If the disc is rotated, the funnel on the roof follows this movement and the view changes in equal degree.

The position of the camera obscura is thus an essential part of its feature and they couldn't have chosen a better site for this one. Looking onto the disc, it was possible to see grand views of Glen Prosen and where the medical officer and doctor of Antarctic expeditions led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott had a residence and where much detail of these expeditions were planned and where, on the last expedition, conditions proved to be fatal. In the last hours of his life, Scott and his companions were trapped in a tent while a ferocious storm blew outside. Their food and supplies were exhausted and death was inevitable. Scott chose this time to write eleven letters, one of which was addressed to J M Barrie on account of their friendship. Although I've never seen it, I've been told there's a display somewhere in the glen with a replica of that last letter encased under glass and put there as a memorial to Scott and those who accompanied him on the race to the South Pole.

The J M Barrie Camera Obscura permits the viewer to see deeply into the larger Glen Clova to the east of Glen Prosen and prompting further exploration into both glens. While Glen Prosen offers comparatively little of special note, Glen Clova does have an exceptional restaurant in the shape of the Glen Clova Hotel located at the farthest northern part of the road loop that ultimately returns the driver southwards and back towards Kirriemuir. I particularly liked the smaller bar area at the back of the building with its stone floor and open hearth fire.

The hotel is not actually the end of the road since a further small single track goes further and terminates where there was once a holiday camp but which has since closed due to inability to maintain facilities for the number of people it was expected to cater for. All in all, Kirriemuir and Glen Clova is a nice day out and if time permits then a visit to nearby Glamis Castle offers an additional treat.

Glamis Castle

Glamis Castle is situated beside the village of Glamis which lies just a few miles south of Kirriemuir. It is the home of the Earkl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne and open to the public most days of the year.

Glamis Castle was the childhood home of the late Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother, and widow of King George VI. Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was born at Glamis. The site is said to have been the place where King Malcolm II died.

The plasterwork ceilings of Glamis are arguably the best in Scotland but the castle has many tales about strange events ranging from various ghostly happenings to the allegation that there is a ‘secret room’ within the structure. According to a story, this author was told years ago, a group of students tried to find this room by hanging tea towels in all the windows while observors searched for a window without a hanging towel and where it was alleged that there was one but the curators stopped the investigation from proceeding further. Truth or myth? I have no idea!

Credits:
Photographs from Open Source and by the author.
Text by Alandon.