EARLY BIRDS at Glamis Castle yesterday flocked to catch a glimpse of locals who have become household names across the country.

Betty Anderson, Brian Townsend and David Soutar were put under the spotlight by castle season ticket holders during an open day specially arranged for them.

The trio are familiar faces thanks to the magazine series Castle In The Country, part way through its 25-episode run on BBC2, which looks at life in and around the property and estate.

Betty, who retired after 40 years as housekeeper, has become a font of knowledge on keeping the castle clean, while Brian has kept viewers entertained with a string of short stories.

As farms director, David has had a regular slot giving an agricultural insight into the area.

Castle general manager David Adams said, “The show has been getting 1.5 million viewers per episode, so Betty, Brian and David are appearing in a lot of homes the length and breadth of the country.

“They have proved very popular among our season ticket holders who have bombarded them with questions and they have had some fascinating tales about working with the presenters Nicki Chapman, John Craven and Carol Kirkwood.”

Around 250 season ticket holders took up the opportunity to sneak a peek at the castle ahead of its opening on Saturday for the new season.

The castle hopes the TV exposure and the decision to extend the season to late December will contribute to a healthy influx of visitors.

Among special events at the castle this year is a picnic play, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.