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St Andrews Castle, Scotland The castle at St Andrews has a long history as a centre of religious and political power. Powerful bishops had a castle here from around 1200. As is usual with castles, there is a close association between military and religious roles. This was a castle, but it was also a home for bishops.
In the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries the castle was involved in war between England and Scotland. In 1337 it was destroyed by the Scots in an attempt to deny fortifications to English forces. But around 1400 Bishop Walter Trail rebuilt the castle, which in part survives today. Trail's castle was to see much drama during the Reformation. This immense fifteenth and sixteenth century religious upheaval saw great tensions between the established Catholic religion and new Protestant ideas. In 1546 Cardinal David Beaton had Protestant reformer George Wishart burnt at the stake outside St Andrews Castle. Then in May of 1546 supporters of Wishart managed to enter the castle in disguise, murderung Beaton. Following Beaton's death the Protestant rebels were besieged. Mines dug through solid rock under the walls during the siege can still be explored. Eventually the castle fell, and Protestant leader John Knox was captured and imprisoned.
St Andrews Cathedral
In the long run, however, the Protestants were to become the dominant power in Scotland, and St Andrews castle as the seat of Catholic bishops, went into decline. The office of bishop was finally abolished by William I in 1689, and St Andrews fell into ruin. Much of its stone was used in local building work.
Castles and religious sites have mimicked each other from the earliest days of human history. Iron age bank and ditch castles around hill tops were the pattern used for bank and ditch religious sites such as Avebury. The same architecture used in seeking physical security was used in seeking spiritual security. Castle and church architecture have continued to reflect each other into recent history. Rarely has the religious and military link been so clearly demonstrated as at St Andrews castle, where most of the battles around it have been of a religious nature. Read more on our History of Castles page.
Directions: From North Street in the centre of St Andrews, follow North Castle Street. Walking down North Castle Street you will see the castle in front of you. Click here for an interactive map centred on St Andrews Castle.
Address: St Andrews Castle, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9AR
Opening Times: 1st April to 30th September, open daily 9.30am - 5.30pm.
1st October to 31st March, open daily 9.30am - 4.30pm. Closed 25th and 26th December.
Access: There is wheelchair access to the visitors centre and the ground floor of the castle. The Bottle Dungeon, and the mines are not accessible for wheelchair users.
Contact:
telephone: 01334 477196