Visitors from across the globe were welcomed to Glamis Castle by Lord Strathmore and the Dowager Countess as it celebrated its 60th anniversary as a tourist attraction.
To mark the occasion, the first 60 visitors were charged an entry fee of just 12p the equivalent of the 2/6d charged when the castle opened in 1950.
The tickets were snapped up in just 15 minutes, with Fife couple Ian and Christine Todd the first through the door.
Mr and Mrs Todd, from Crossgates, were on a caravan holiday in Alyth and went to the castle after reading about the celebrations in The Courier.
Mr Todd said, “I read about the offer in The Courier and, as a typical Fifer, I couldn’t resist the opportunity of getting in for only 12p!
“We also got a signed book from the countess and we’re looking forward to the tour.”
Hundreds of other tourists most from overseas visited the castle at various points in the day.
As well as touring the castle and its grounds, they watched actors tell the story of Mary Queen of Scots and her visit to the estate.
Marketing manager Libby Reynolds said the castle had gone from strength to strength over the past half-century.
She said, “Our records show that in the 50s the castle only opened from July to September on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
“Today, during the height of summer, there are around 50 staff employed across five departments.”
The castle, which has welcomed over four million people in the last 60 years, also celebrated the 100th anniversary of its Italian Garden on Monday.
Lord Strathmore marked the occasion with an evening reception in the garden, which was commissioned in 1910 by Countess Cecilia, wife of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and mother of the late Queen Mother.
It was designed to resemble a garden at her family home in Italy.