St Andrews Castle

St Andrews Castle, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland

St Andrews Castle is built on a naturally protruding headland, protected on the North and East by the sea and ditches on the landward sides. The Castle was the main residence of the Bishops of St Andrews. There has been a castle at St Andrews from at least 1189, but much of the surviving castle dates from the 14th century and later. Much of the earlier castle was destroyed by the Scots to prevent it being used by the English as a garrison.

The castle was rebuilt towards the end of the 14th century, on the orders of Bishop Walter Trail. The castle served as the residence for the country's leading churchmen, with many great figures of the time attending functions at the castle. As well as being a fortress, the castle also served as a prison and many numerous famous names were confined here.

The South Front contains the centrally-positioned entrance gateway, which dates from the 16th century. The original castle entrance was through the Fore Tower. Of the Chapel Range, very little survives, only the bases of the loggia columns being in place today. Close to the Fore Tower is the entrance to the Mine and Countermine. The passages were dug during the Earl of Arrans seige of the castle in 1546-7.

The East Range contained the Great Hall but was lost to the sea in 1801. Of Kitchen Tower, only the east wall survives. The North Range, was a two storey building set against the curtain wall and is now very fragmentary. On the west is The Sea Tower and Bottle Dungeon, the entrance to the dungeon is via an unlit room, in the floor is the hollowed out dungeon, cut into the shape of a bottle.

The Castle is open all year round.
Summer: 25 March - 30 September: Monday - Sunday, 9.30am - last entry 6.00pm (closes at 6.30pm).
Winter: 1 October - end March: Monday - Sunday, 9.30am - last entry 4.00pm (closes at 4.30pm)

Closed 25th, 26th December and 1st, 2nd January.

Admission to the Castle and Cathedral

Joint ticket with the Cathedral: Adult £5.00 Child £2.00 Concessions £3.75

(Photographs ©2003-2008 Ryewolf)