Glamis Castle provided the perfect setting for a major ‘Crime at the Castle’ festival featuring a “who’s who” of the Scottish crime writing world.
In scenes reminiscent of a live interpretation of a “Cluedo-style” murder mystery, the castle’s crypt, dining room, drawing room, chapel and Queen Mother’s sitting room hosted talks, question and answer sessions and workshops enjoyed by more than 150 fans.
The event attracted 16 authors, including Scotland’s “queen of crime” Val McDermid, who took part in the first event of its kind in the Queen Mother’s childhood home and the birthplace of Princess Margaret.
She said: “The Queen Mother and Princes Margaret were both big crime fiction fans.
“Princes Margaret was the guest of honour at the Crime Writers’ Association’s 40th anniversary dinner. The Queen mum particularly liked Dick Francis because of the racing.
“The setting of this makes it a unique event – as you come down the drive and you see the castle before you it is really quite remarkable.
“Maybe 20 years ago people wouldn’t have believed crime fiction would find a home in a building like this – it’s amazing.”
The author, best known for a series of suspense novels featuring her most famous creation, ‘The Wire in the Blood’, which was adapted for television, gave an insight into the way she builds on her experiences for future works.
“Things don’t tend to happen instantly with me – they tend to take a wee while to percolate down.
“Maybe in a couple of years’ time I will be thinking of setting a scene somewhere like this and I will draw on the moments of being here.
“There is that sense of history here. One of my series is a cold case unit so I am always looking around at possible recent history to set crimes against.
“But even a place like this – it’s not just the distant past that has power, it’s the recent past as well.”
Ms McDermid spoke of the inspiration events like ‘Crime at the Castle’ gives authors.
“Writers spend a lot of time on their own in a room staring at a screen trying to think of the next sentence.
“Coming out and actually meeting readers is the sort of thing that keeps you going on the really bad days.
“People say nice things to you, people buy your books, that does make you feel that you are not completely hopeless and useless sitting by yourself telling stories to the voices in your head.
“It gives you confidence on the days when everything is going wrong and it all feels like it’s rubbish.”
Major Wendy Jones, the celebrated award-winning Dundee author and co-host of the Glamis event, was delighted with both the setting and the response to the festival.
She said: “I first had the idea of bringing it here when I visited the Royal robes’ exhibition last year.
“I had a chance meeting with Pauline Cawdery who works at the castle, and we worked together to put it all together. I know most of the authors, I love Glamis Castle, I grew up with it and knew it would be the perfect venue.”
Tommy Baxer, Glamis Castle general manager, was also delighted with the response.
He said: “Glamis was the scene of one of the greatest fictional crimes in history – the murder of King Duncan by Macbeth. If it’s good enough for William Shakespeare – it’s good enough for Val McDermid!”
