St Andrews Castle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. Andrews Castle
St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland
St Andrews castle ruins
St. Andrews Castle
Coordinates	56°20′N 2°47′W / 56.34°N 2.79°W / 56.34; -2.79
Site information
Owner	Historic Environment Scotland
Controlled by	Bishops of St Andrews
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Ruined
Site history
Built	c.1200
Built by	Roger de Beaumont
In use	Until c.1689
Materials	stone

St Andrews Castle is an old, ruined castle in St Andrews, Scotland. It sits on a rocky cliff, looking out over Castle Sands beach and the North Sea. A castle has stood here since the late 1100s, built by Bishop Roger. It was home to the rich and powerful bishops of St Andrews, who were important religious leaders in Scotland before the Protestant Reformation. They even called it their 'palace' in old Latin documents.

Today, Historic Environment Scotland looks after the castle grounds. You can visit the castle through a visitor centre. The centre has displays about the castle's history. It also shows some of the best carved pieces found at the castle.

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Castle's Role in Scottish Wars

During the Wars of Scottish Independence, the castle was often damaged and rebuilt. It kept changing hands between the Scots and the English. In 1296, after the English captured Berwick, they took over the castle.

Recaptured by Scots

In 1314, after the Scottish victory at Bannockburn, the Scots took the castle back. Bishop William Lamberton, a loyal supporter of King Robert the Bruce, repaired it. The English captured it again by the 1330s. They made its defenses stronger in 1336.

However, the English could not hold it for long. Sir Andrew Moray, who was leading Scotland while David II was away, recaptured it. This happened after a three-week siege. Soon after, in 1336-1337, the Scots destroyed the castle. They did this to stop the English from using it as a stronghold again.

Rebuilding the Castle

The castle stayed in ruins until Bishop Walter Trail rebuilt it around 1400. The castle you see today is mostly based on his work. He finished building it around 1400 and died there in 1401.

A Home for Kings

Many important people stayed at the castle over the years. James I of Scotland (1406-1437) studied there. His teacher was Bishop Henry Wardlaw, who started St Andrews University in 1410.

Later, Bishop James Kennedy lived there. He was a trusted advisor to James II of Scotland (1437-1460). In 1445, James III of Scotland was born at the castle.

The Castle's Prison

The castle also served as a well-known prison. The castle's "bottle dungeon" was a dark, airless pit. It was carved out of solid rock below the north-west tower. This dungeon held local lawbreakers who were under the Bishop's power.

It also held famous people like David Stuart, Duke of Rothesay in 1402. Duke Murdoch was imprisoned there in 1425. Archbishop Patrick Graham was also held there in 1478.

Religious Changes and a Siege

During the Scottish Reformation, the castle became a place of religious conflict. John Knox, a Scottish reformer, wrote that "Many of God's Children were imprisoned here." He was talking about the bottle dungeon.

In 1521, James Beaton became the Archbishop of St Andrews. He moved into the castle. Beaton changed the castle's defenses. He wanted it to withstand heavy artillery attacks. This was important as tensions grew between English Protestants and Scottish Catholics.

Cardinal Beaton's Rule

In 1538, James Beaton's nephew, Cardinal David Beaton, took over. He was very ambitious and wealthy. Cardinal Beaton strongly opposed the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots, to Prince Edward. Prince Edward later became King Edward VI. This opposition helped to restart fighting in 1544.

Scottish Protestants were seen as traitors who sided with the English. In 1546, David Beaton imprisoned the Protestant preacher George Wishart in the castle's Sea Tower. On March 1, Wishart was executed in front of the castle walls. Today, brick letters mark the spot where he died.

The Murder and Siege

In May of the same year, Wishart's friends planned against the cardinal. On May 26, they entered the castle by pretending to be masons. Building work was happening at the time. They overpowered the castle's guards and murdered Cardinal Beaton.

After the murder, the Protestants stayed in the castle. They formed the first Protestant group in Scotland. The Scottish Regent, James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, ordered a long siege of the castle.

In October 1546, the attackers began digging a mine tunnel. The defenders successfully dug a counter-mine. Both tunnels were cut through solid rock. They were found again in 1879 and you can visit them today.

The French Attack

During a break in the fighting in April 1547, John Knox entered the castle. He served as the preacher for the people inside. For a while, Knox could leave the castle to preach in the local church.

However, this peace ended when a French fleet arrived. They brought an Italian engineer named Leone Strozzi. He directed a powerful artillery attack to remove the Protestant leaders. The castle quickly became impossible to defend. According to one account, it fell within six hours. The defeated Protestants were taken away. Some were imprisoned in France, while others, including Knox, were forced to work on galley ships.

The Castle's Decline

After this Protestant defeat, Archbishop John Hamilton rebuilt the castle. He was the illegitimate brother of Regent Arran. But after Hamilton's death in 1571, the castle was mostly used by a series of keepers.

In 1606, the Parliament of Scotland separated the castle from the archbishopric. It was given to the Earl of Dunbar. It was returned to Archbishop George Gledstanes in 1612. However, efforts to bring back the Archbishop's old power failed.

With the success of the Reformation in Scotland, the role of the bishop became less important. It was finally removed by William of Orange in 1689. The castle no longer had a purpose. By 1656, it was so ruined that the town council ordered its stones to be used to repair the pier.

Today, the main parts that remain are a section of the south wall with a square tower. You can also see the "bottle dungeon," the kitchen tower, and the underground mine and counter-mine tunnels.

Gallery

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  1843-44 photo of St. Andrews Castle by Robert Adamson

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  The ruins of St Andrews Castle viewed from St Andrews Pier

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  The courtyard of St Andrews Castle

Images for kids

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  The ruins of St Andrews Castle from the south east

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  The front of St Andrews Castle

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  Inside St Andrews Castle

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  Mine tunnel dug during the siege in 1546

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  Beaton's arms on a panel believed to have been removed from one of his private apartments in the castle